It's Not Easy Being Head Girl
by Snakequeen-in-Norway
Summary: Especially when the Head Boy is the one person in the entire school whom you unequivocally hate. But that's exactly the position Rose Weasley finds herself in during her seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchdraft and Wizardry.
1. Head Girl

**Author's Note: This is one of my fics that is longhanded in a notebook before it is typed & posted. For those of you who have read/read my other fics, this is a very different type of fic than, say, "Bound with Silver Threads." It's the same writing style, naturally, because it's my writing style, but while BWST tells the entire story of Lily's 3****rd****-7****th**** years (or will once it's finished), including every aspect of her life along with the romance, this fic just focuses on the relationship between the two main characters. Other aspects of their lives are only touched on as they pertain to the scenes I'm writing, and all the scenes which I write are the ones that take place with them together or somehow have to do with their interactions with each other. Essentially, I'm skipping from "good part" to "good part". Perhaps the BWST style is more novelistic (is that even a word? My old computer said no but this one says yes) and in the end more fulfilling, but this style is more fun and fast paced (not that I'm racing through the building of the relationship though, don't worry). Anyway, long story short, here is my first Rose/Scorpius centered fic. I hope you like it.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure not one person reading this actually thinks I own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter One: Head Girl**

Rose looked in the mirror one last time and adjusted the silver badge on her chest.

"Rose," groaned her younger brother from the doorway. "It's _straight_ already. Come _on_. We're going to be late for breakfast."

Rose shot him a glare over her shoulder.

"You have no appreciation for the importance of the honor that—"

"Being Head Girl is a big deal, Rose, I get it," said Hugo. "But your badge looks fine, I swear. And it can't have come as much of a surprise. I mean, you're the top of your year and everything, a model student, never broken a rule in your life..."

"That isn't a guarantee of anything," said Rose, turning away from the mirror and flicking her wand at her trunk. "There were plenty of qualified candidates to choose from."

Hugo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we go now?"

"You have to stop taking so many things for granted, Hugo," his sister admonished. "You can't coast through life simply because that's the easy thing to do."

Hugo just shrugged.

"Maybe if you had a little more pride in yourself you'd be wearing a badge on your chest too," said Rose sniffily. "Now come on," she added, levitating her trunk over her brother's head. "We're going to be late for breakfast."

"For the love of Merlin..."

*****INEBHG*****

"Have a good term," said Hermione, standing on tiptoe to kiss her son on the cheek.

"Mu-um," protested Hugo.

"Behave yourself," she added. "And Rose, make sure your brother keeps up with his schoolwork."

"Mum!" said Hugo again.

"I don't want any more owls home telling me that you haven't turned in any of your homework in two weeks."

"That was one time!" said Hugo. "In my third year! And I _did_ it, it was just at the bottom of my bag."

"That makes it all the worse," said his mother sternly.

The train whistle blew.

"That's the whistle," said Rose unnecessarily. Hugo rolled his eyes. "We should go."

"Cream Slytherin in Quidditch!" their father called after Hugo as the two of them boarded the Hogwarts Express.

As the doors slid shut they heard their mother sigh. "Oh, Ron..."

*****INEBHG*****

Once on board the train the two Weasley siblings went their separate ways. Hugo to find his friends and Rose to the front of the train to greet the new and returning prefects and lead their start-of-term meeting.

Rose was the first to arrive in the prefects' compartment. As she waited for the others to arrive she went through her mental list of last years' sixth year prefects, wondering who this year's Head Boy would be. Of course it _could_ be someone who hadn't been a prefect, but that was an unlikely possibility.

Her fellow Gryffindor prefect was Jasper Creevey. He would be a good choice, but Heads were rarely chosen from the same house.

Bernard Lincoln from Hufflepuff was a good prefect but, in Rose's opinion, lacked the initiative needed in a Head student.

Nicholas boot from Ravenclaw would be her choice, if the decision were up to her. Tall, handsome, and incredibly intelligent, Rose had had a bit of a crush on him since their fourth year. She wouldn't at all mind spending the required time as co-Heads with Nicholas Boot of Ravenclaw.

A cold, drawling voice woke her from her musings.

"Please tell me this is some kind of utterly tasteless joke."

Rose's head snapped toward the doorway of the compartment.

No. Please no. This couldn't be real. Headmaster Longbottom _couldn't_ have. He just couldn't. Anyone, _anyone_ would have been a better choice for Head Boy than—

"Malfoy."

"Weasley."

Scorpius Malfoy. The one person in all of Hogwarts whom Rose hated with an unequivocal passion. Everything about him, from his slicked back white-blonde hair to the over-polished loafers beneath his school robes made her feel ill with disgust and fury. He was so full of himself, so smug and falsely charming, so utterly and completely...ugh! She didn't even have words to describe him!

"Nice badge," said Malfoy sardonically. "Don't you think it's about time you gave it back to its owner?"

Rose bristled and touched her fingers unconsciously to her Head Girl badge.

"I earned this badge, Malfoy. Which is more than can be said for you."

The Slytherin just laughed.

"Is that any way to treat your new partner?" he drawled.

Rose clenched her fists at her sides. She would not let Scorpius Malfoy get to her, she would _not_. Not on their first day back at school. Not on her first day as Head Girl.

"Kneazle got your tongue, Weasley?" Malfoy taunted.

The confrontation was thankfully cut short by the arrival of the prefects. The two Heads turned to greet them.

"Good morning, please take your seats," said Rose, completely in her element. "My name is Rose Weasley, and I have the honor of servings as your Head Girl this year." She glanced covertly towards the corner where Nicholas Boot was sitting as she said this, trying to gauge his reaction to the news.

"I assure you that I take this position very seriously, and I encourage you to come to me with any questions or concerns you may have, especially the newly selected prefects among you." She nodded toward her cousin Lily, who was sitting near the front of the group.

"I know you are all here because you have a genuine interest in the preservation of the order and safety of our beloved school, and..." Rose trailed off. No one was listening to her. All of their attention had turned to Malfoy, who was reclining with his chair tilted back, pretending to doze off. As she looked at him, he opened his eyes, brought his chair back to the floor, stretched showily, and looked around.

"Now that that boring little speech is over," he said. "I hardly need to introduce myself. You all know who I am." He flashed them a smirking grin.

"Fifth years, welcome to the land of privilege. Sixth and seventh years, welcome back. Now, what else..." He tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. "Ah yes. Prefect meetings are every Monday evening right after dinner in the room behind the great Hall. Just like they have been for the last fifty years." He paused for laughter then continued. "Patrol schedules will be handed out tomorrow morning with your class schedules. Requests for changes must be made no less than three days in advance."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Well, I think that about covers it. I foresee a fun and happy year ahead for all of us. Now if you'll excuse me..." and he rose from his chair and exited the compartment with an easy swagger, leaving Rose gaping in fury in his wake.

If the first hour was any indication, this was going to be one hell of a long year.

**AN: The thing about Hugo doing his homework but forgetting to turn it in. Yes, my own little brother actually did that.**

**Thanks!**

**-SQ**


	2. Professor Longbottom's Bright Idea

**Author's Note: Chapter 2! *does a little happy dance* 1 step closer to the part where it actually gets interesting! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: In case any of you were woefully misinformed, no, I do not, in fact, own Harry Potter**

**Chapter Two: Professor Longbottom's Bright Idea**

It was a long year. An incredibly long year. The longest year in the history of long years. And it was only January.

The first prefect meeting of the new term had just ended, and Malfoy had returned from the Christmas holidays (spent with his mother's family in France, he had been sure to inform them) more insufferable than ever. He had spent the entire meeting cracking jokes at Rose's expense and striking poses to best show off his slender but muscular body and shining hair.

As if that wasn't enough, Rose had the Heads' meeting with him one on one later on that night.

"He simply refuses to take anything seriously!" Rose fumed to her cousin Lily as the two of them made their way back up to Gryffindor tower. "You saw him in there! Everything is simply one big joke to him! I'll never understand how he became a Prefect, let alone Head Boy!"

"He is the top of his year," said Lily. "After you, of course," she added hastily when Rose glared at her. "And, well, you're so serious—not that that's a bad thing, we need seriousness in our Heads—but you sort of...balance each other out."

"Malfoy and I will never, in any universe, 'balance each other out,'" said Rose tightly.

Lily shrugged.

"How can you be so calm about it?" demanded Rose. "How can you stand him?"

"What choice do I have?" said Lily reasonably. "Flutterbies," she added as they arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "I'm a prefect, he's Head Boy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a long way from starting a Scorpius Malfoy Fan Club; his head's so big I'm surprised he doesn't fall off his broom when he plays Quidditch. But unlike you, I don't have to spend much time with him. And he must have some idea of what he's doing, or Professor Longbottom would never have made him Head Boy and Slytherin Quidditch Captain."

"Hmph," said Rose, and buried her face in her Ancient Runes textbook.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose looked at her watch: 10:08. Malfoy was late, what a surprise.

She walked another circle around the small room. This was so typical. She had made sure to arrive at ten minutes to ten, and here it was nearly ten minutes after ten and Malfoy still hadn't bothered to show. Probably up in his dorm fixing his stupid hair or something. How she would just love to cast a severing charm and cut it all off. She would have too, if it hadn't been against school rules.

Finally, at fourteen and a half minutes past ten, Malfoy sauntered into the room.

"You're late," said Rose accusingly.

"A Malfoy is never late, Rose Weasley," said Malfoy. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

"Scorpius Malfoy, I know you think you're better than everyone else, but you don't have to right to just come waltzing in here nearly fifteen minutes late without a very good—" she stopped mid-rant. "Wait—you read Muggle literature?"

Malfoy chuckled condescendingly. "Occasionally," he said offhandedly. "When it pleases me."

"Ooooh!" said Rose, barely refraining from stamping her foot in fury. "You are just too much, Malfoy!"

"Thank you," said Malfoy with a mocking bow.

"Let's just get this over with," said Rose through gritted teeth. "We have important topics to discuss and you've wasted enough time already."

"I couldn't agree more," said Malfoy silkily. "I can think of a _lot_ more enjoyable things I could be doing right now than boring my brains out here with you," he added with a suggestive wink.

"I am going to ignore you're crudeness for the sake of the school and proceed with business," said Rose coldly. "First, the new patrol schedules—"

"Yes, about those," Malfoy interrupted. "Bole can't take this Tuesday's shift."

"What?" said Rose. "But Tuesday is _tomorrow_. All requests for patrol schedule changes must be made at least three days—"

"—at least three days in advance, I know," said Malfoy impatiently. "I've read the rules too, Miss Encyclopedia. I told him this time we could make an exception."

"An exception?" Rose almost screeched. "An _exception_? It's a _rule_ Malfoy, we can't just go around making exceptions to established rules. They are there for a _reason_!"

"Some things are more important than rules," said Malfoy.

"_Nothing_ is more important than the rules," said Rose with complete confidence.

"Relax, brushfire," said Malfoy, making a pointed jab at her mane of bushy red hair as well as her temper. "Rules were made to be bent and broken."

"Okay, fine!" said Rose, slamming her hand down on the table. "If you're so intent on 'bending' this rule, _you_ can take this Tuesday's patrol!"

She opened the schedule book.

"Your patrol partner will be..."

She ran her finger down the list and then mentally swore (something she would never do out loud). Why were the fates always so cruel to her?

"Me."

*****INEBHG*****

Malfoy showed up ten minutes late for their patrol.

"You're—"

"Yes, yes, I know, let's just get on with this, shall we?" said Malfoy impatiently. "I'm not any happier about this than you are."

Rose and Scorpius endured their patrol in chilly silence. Malfoy lagged behind and Rose kept shooting him heated glares over her shoulder.

Malfoy finally broke the silence.

"Aren't we done with this yet? We haven't seen anyone out of bed all evening."

"No, we are _not_ done with this yet," said Rose snippily. "What, are you tired?"

"No," said Malfoy, a bit defensively. "I just have Quidditch practice scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"Well, you should have thought about that before you decided to grant special favors to members of your own house."

"You don't know the circumstances," muttered Malfoy.

"Oh?" said Rose. "Please, enlighten me."

"It's none of your business," said Malfoy. "Come on, let's just patrol, okay?"

"Fine with me," said Rose. "It's what I've been _trying_ to do all night."

*****INEBHG*****

Rose was vindictively pleased to see that Malfoy appeared a bit more tired than usual in Potions the next morning.

_Serves him right_, she thought, _acting like everything should run at his back and call. That'll teach him to treat his duties so flippantly._

He was his usual arrogant self, however, when he was asked to come up to the front of the class and explain a complicated formula during Arithmancy later that morning.

_I could have explained it better_, thought Rose grumpily. _He uses all the wrong words, they don't half do the complexity of it justice._

It didn't improve her temper when, as she was leaving the class, she overheard a couple of the other students praising Malfoy's explanation.

"Malfoy this, Malfoy that. If I hear the word 'Malfoy' one more time I might scream," Rose complained to her cousin Albus, Lily's older brother, as they sat down together for lunch. "I tell you what Al, you, Lily, and Hugo had better beat him at Quidditch next time you play Slytherin."

"I'll certainly do my best," Albus assured her.

*****INEBHG*****

That evening, Professor Longbottom gave Rose yet another reason to hate Malfoy, as if she didn't have enough already.

He called both of them into his office after dinner, sat them down in the two chairs facing his desk, and seated himself across from them.

"It has come to my attention," he began, looking at them out of his kind, round face, "that my two Head Students are not working as well together as they could be." Rose opened her moth to protest, but Neville held up a hand. "It was my hope that once you were appointed as Head Boy and Girl you could put aside your differences and work together to the best of what I know are you considerable abilities." He frowned. "Obviously I was wrong."

"Professor—" started Rose.

Neville held up his hand again.

"Therefore, I have decided that from now on you will be doing all of your patrols together."

The two students gaped at him, appalled.

"Excuse me?"

"Hopefully this will give the two of you the time you need to sort out your differences. And who knows, you might find that you have more in common than you would have expected.

Rose looked at Scorpius.

Scorpius looked at Rose.

Somehow, they sincerely doubted it.

**AN: Aha, here's the plot instigator. Now we're getting somewhere. Or at least it's set up for us to be getting somewhere. **

**-SQ**


	3. At A Loss For Words

**Author's Note: Okay, the plot's actually kind of going somewhere now. The chapter seems deceptively long looking at it because there are song lyrics in it. It's actually not as long as it looks; in fact it's actually rather short. Sorry. At least I didn't let you get tricked. Various songs will be making their way into future chapters as well. Unlike some of my other fics that use songs, these should all be well-known songs that you should either already know or be able to find very easily online.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: Being neither J.K Rowling nor the Eagles, I own neither the characters nor the song lyrics I use in this chapter. I like them though :)**

**Chapter Three: At A Loss For Words**

If there was a prissier, bossier, more stuck-up know-it-all in the world than Rose Weasley, Scorpius had yet to meet them. And he really didn't want to.

It was bad enough that the girl had been made Head Girl to his Head Boy, but now he would be patrolling with her three times a week in addition to their shared classes, weekly prefect meetings, and bi-weekly head meetings. It was enough to make him rip his perfectly groomed hair out. Or die of boredom.

And it wasn't just that Weasley was obnoxious and bossy and prissy and a know-it-all, though she was all of those things; she was just plain boring! The Gryffindor had a stick so far up her ass it was a wonder it wasn't sticking out of the top of her head. Scorpius was just itching to show the girl how to live a little. Though she would probably die of shock at the mere thought of it.

Scorpius rubbed his forehead. Thinking about the bloody Weasley girl was giving him a headache. Which was his cue to stop thinking he supposed.

Scorpius fished his guitar out from under his bed, crossed his legs, leaned back against the headboard, and settled his fingers on the familiar strings.

"_On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair_

_Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air_

_Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light_

_My head grew heavy and my sight grew dimmer_

_I had to stop for the night_

"_There she stood in the doorway;_

_I heard the mission bell_

_And I was thinking to myself,_

_'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'_

_Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way_

_There were voices down the corridor,_

_I thought I heard them say..._

"_Welcome to the Hotel California_

_Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), such a lovely face_

_Plenty of room at the Hotel California_

_Any time of year, you can find it here_

"_Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends_

_She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends_

_How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat_

_Some dance to remember, some dance to forget_

"_So I called up the Captain_

_'Please bring me my wine'_

_He said, 'we haven't had that spirit here since nineteen-sixty-nine'_

_And still those voices are calling from far away,_

_Wake you up in the middle of the night_

_Just to hear them say..._

"_Welcome to the Hotel California_

_Such a lovely place (such a lovely place), such a lovely face_

_They livin' it up at the Hotel California_

_What a nice surprise, bring your alibis_

"_Mirrors on the ceiling,_

_The pink champagne on ice_

_And she said 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'_

_And in the master's chambers,_

_They gathered for the feast_

_They stab it with their steely knives,_

_But they just can't kill the beast_

"_Last thing I remember, I was_

_Running for the door_

_I had to find the passage back_

_To the place I was before_

_'Relax,' said the night man,_

_'We are programmed to receive._

_You can check out any time you like,_

_'But you can never leave.'"_

*****INEBHG*****

Albus found the whole situation hilarious.

"Neville—"

"Professor Longbottom," Rose interjected.

Albus rolled his eyes.

"_Professor Longbottom_ must be off his rocker. There's less of a chance of you and Malfoy seeing eye to eye than there is of Hagrid—oh alright, _Professor Hagrid—_finding a monster he doesn't like."

"Don't you think I know that?" said Rose exasperatedly. "The boy is absolutely insufferable! And now I'm stuck patrolling with him three nights a week for the rest of the year!"

"Better you than me," was Albus's chuckled response.

*****INEBHG*****

Okay, so maybe full volume classic rock wasn't the best cure for a headache, Scorpius reflected as he got up the next morning after a distinctly unrestful night's sleep.

His head still pounded, but the Slytherin/Hufflepuff game was that day and he had a strict anti-potion policy for his Quidditch team that he wasn't about to break over a bad night of sleep. All his headache needed was a nice, solid breakfast.

*****INEBHG*****

A Slythering/Hufflepuff Quidditch match, perhaps the combination of teams that Rose had the least interest in. Well, usually had the least interest in. Today she had a vested interest in it: she wanted Scorpius Malfoy to lose.

"Anything to take that conceited git down a peg or two," she said to her cousins as they settled themselves into the stands.

Hufflepuff played very well, but Slytherin played better. The Hufflepuff Keeper let in few Quaffles, but Scorpius Malfoy let in fewer. And when the Slytherin Seeker caught the Snitch and ended the game, Slytherin was already ahead by forty points.

When Malfoy landed on the grass of the pitch beside his team he was grinning.

"So much for bringing him down a peg or two," Rose grumbled.

*****INEBHG*****

To Rose's great surprise, Malfoy did not use the next day's prefect meeting to gloat about his Quidditch prowess. In fact, the blonde Slytherin was unusually quiet as the prefects debriefed and discussed their week.

One of the sixth-year Hufflepuffs had run into a dilemma when the person he had caught trying to sneak out after hours had turned out to be his best mate, and Lily and her Gryffindor year mate had a question about how much public display of affection was crossing the line. (Any, was Rose's opinion, but the school rules dictated anything that was beyond closed mouth pecks with hands remaining in full view.

"Kneazle got your tongue, Malfoy?" said Rose as they left the meeting, hiding her curiosity behind a taunt.

"Piss off, Weasley," said Malfoy shortly and turned toward the staircase to the dungeons.

_Hmph_, thought Rose. _What's got him in such a tiff?_

*****INEBHG*****

Rose and Malfoy's first joint patrol since Professor Longbottom's edict took place on Tuesday night.

Malfoy turned up on time, leaving Rose feeling almost disappointed that she couldn't harp on him for being late.

"There have been reports of afterhours student activity near the library recently," said Rose. "So we can start there and make it the central location for our patrol tonight."

"Why would students sneak out after hours to visit the _library_?" asked Scorpius.

Rose gave him her best Weasley scowl. She would have dearly liked to defend one of her favorite places in the castle, but honesty compelled her to reply, "Because it's the last place anyone would expect them to go, Malfoy, as you have just so aptly demonstrated."

In spite of Rose's alleged reports, they found no one near the library, nor in any of the corridors or empty classroom they visited. In fact, it was altogether an uneventful night, and they returned to their meeting point, both panting slightly from all the flights of stairs they'd climbed (and, come to think of it, what was Malfoy panting for, a seasoned athlete like him?) without seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"Not that students breaking the rules is actually out of the ordinary," Malfoy pointed out.

"Well it _should_ be," said Rose heatedly. "How can a school environment function properly if its students don't have respect for the rules put in place to keep them safe and facilitate their learning?"

"For Merlin's sake, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Why does everything I have to say have to turn into a confrontation with you?"

Rose opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again. Malfoy had left her at a loss for words, a position in which, she would be the first to tell you, she rarely found herself.

**AN: Scorpius POV :) It is mainly a Rose POV story, but there are bits & pieces of Scor's POV here & there so we get more of a feel for his character besides Rose's rather biased opinion. And so we get some bits that are important to the storyline that I can't give you from Rose's POV. Of course, for the same storyline reason I can't give you too much of Scor's POV or too much will be given away too soon and too obviously. Anyway, that'll all make more sense later. Although for those of you who know my writing you may be able to guess where I'm taking part of that.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading. And thanks (I hope!) for reviewing :)**

**-SQ**


	4. Peeves

**Disclaimer: What's mine is mine. What's Jo's is not.**

**Chapter Four: Peeves**

Rose had often wondered, since NEWT level classes had begun last year, what cruel twist of fate had made her and Malfoy choose to continue with all of the same subjects. Not some, not most, but every bloody one. Between classes and Head duties Rose was spending more time with Malfoy than with her own friends. And that was just wrong.

They were on yet another patrol, walking side by side in an uncomfortable silence. They rounded a corner on their circuit of the third floor and came face to face with Peeves, who was in the process of writing some very rude words on the door of the Charms classroom.

Scorpius snorted.

"Classy."

"Peeves, you stop that at once!" said Rose with all the dignity she could muster.

Peeves paid her no mind except to made an exceedingly crude noise.

Malfoy raised one pale eyebrow ever-so-slightly.

"Really, Weasley?"

"Oh, and I suppose you could do better?"

Malfoy smiled crookedly and took a step forward.

"Oi! Peeves!"

The poltergeist paused what he was doing and looked in Scorpius's direction.

"If it isn't ickle Malfoy, the Head Boy himself," he said. "Come to play along?"

"Not today Peeves," said Malfoy. "But I happen to know of a large order of highly breakable silver scales that has just come in for Professor Zabini sitting unwatched in the Potions classroom."

A mischievous gleam came into Peeves's eyes and without saying another word he zoomed off in the opposite direction.

"What did you tell him about the scales for?" demanded Rose.

"Because," drawled Scorpius, "what I know and he doesn't is that in between here and the Potion classroom Professors Longbottom and Macmillan are just finishing up a conference concerning one of the first years."

"Students aren't supposed to know things like that!" Rose protested.

Scorpius just shrugged.

"Sometimes they come in handy. As does being on good terms with the school poltergeist." He inclined his head toward the graffitied wall. "Are you going to get that, or shall I?"

Rose narrowed her eyes and flicked her want at the graffiti, which promptly disappeared.

Near the end of their patrol Rose and Scorpius came across Peeves again, this time looking very disgruntled.

"Hey Peeves!" called Scorpius as the poltergeist floated past. "Something _weighing_ on your mind?"

Rose laughed as Scorpius smartly ducked the wad of chewing gum Peeves chucked at his head.

Rose stopped laughing abruptly when Malfoy looked at her.

Wait a minute, had she actually just _laughed_ at one of Malfoy's jokes?

The Slytherin looked as shocked as she was.

"You can laugh?"

"You're not to tell this to anyone, you understand?" she said. "Not a soul."

Scorpius just grinned

*****INEBHG*****

It seemed that Peeves had decided to hold a grudge against the two Head students for the trick they had played on him. Wherever they went for the rest of the week Peeves was there too, doing everything from blowing raspberries in their ears to clapping erasers in their faces.

"I've had just about enough of that poltergeist!" said Rose angrily after a chalk induced coughing fit.

"For once I agree with you, Weasley," said Scorpius, running a hand through his hair so that it stuck up in a comical way that almost made Rose giggle. "We have to find a way to get back at him."

"Isn't that against the rules?" said Rose.

"We're Head Boy and Girl, we can pretty much do what we want. But no, Miss Prissy-Pants," he added when she opened her mouth to protest, "it doesn't have to be against the rules."

*****INEBHG*****

"You're _sure_ this isn't breaking any school rules?" Rose asked for the umpteenth time as she and Scorpius stood together around the corner from where Peeves was currently floating.

Scorpius rubbed his eye sockets.

"I don't know. You're the one who's memorized the entire rule book, why don't you tell _me_?"

"Well!" said Rose. "What's got your knickers in a knot?"

"Looking at your brushfire of split ends," snapped Scorpius. "That and your dry skinned and drab complexion that you never take care of are hurting my eyes. Come on, let's get on with this, unless you're going to chicken out."

"I am not going to chicken out!" whispered Rose furiously. "I'm a Gryffindor! And keep your voice down until it's time!"

Scorpius rubbed his forehead. "On the count of three, okay?"

Rose nodded silently.

"One...two...three..."

"Heeheehee," Rose tittered loudly, feeling absolutely ridiculous. "Heeeheehee. It feels so _daring_ to be out of bed this late at night!"

"I've never broken the rules before," said Malfoy in a high-pitched voice that Rose knew was supposed to be an imitation of hers. Actually, if you went back a few years, it was a rather good one.

"Shhh!" said Rose loudly, still in an obnoxious little-girl voice. "You'll get us caught!"

"Oh ho!" came Peeves's telltale cackle from around the corner. "What have we here? Students out of bed? And ickle-wee-firsties too by the sound of it."

"Oh _no_!" said Scorpius in an exaggerated voice, slapping his hands to his cheeks. Rose had to stifle a snort of laughter with her fist. "It's Peeves! Whatever shall we do?"

A gust of wind alerted them to Peeves rounding the corner. The two students looked at each other.

"Run!" they shouted simultaneously.

It was a wild chase, the two Heads keeping just far ahead enough of Peeves that he never actually saw them, and making enough noise to keep the poltergeist following them and make every teacher within hearing distance come running. They led Peeves around the school for a good ten minutes before throwing themselves behind a tapestry on the fifth floor.

They heard Peeves come hurtling around the bend screeching, "I've got you now, ickle firsties!"

Then they heard him stop so abruptly he nearly fell out of the air and the cold voice of the Bloody Baron demanding, "Peeves, what is the meaning of this?"

"Did you hear him?" Rose gasped, turning to Scorpius. "He nearly fell out of the air!"

Rose looked at Malfoy and stopped laughing. The blonde was doubled over in the narrow passage, clutching his chest and coughing harshly in between gasps for air.

"Malfoy?" said Rose, taking an involuntary step toward him. "Malfoy, are you okay?"

Unthinkingly she put a hand on his shoulder, but he immediately jerked away.

"I'm fine," he snarled hoarsely. "Don't touch me."

Rose took a hasty step backward, nearly stumbling over the hem of her robes.

"_Sorry_. I was just asking."

"Come on," said Malfoy, wincing as he straightened up and pushed sweaty hair out of his eyes. "Our patrol ended ten minutes ago."

And Rose followed him back into the corridor, wondering what the hell had just happened.

**AN: So. There's chapter 4. I thought it was fun. In fact, going back over it, I really rather liked it. But I'd love to hear what **_**you**_** thought *hint hint* ;)**

**-SQ**


	5. Only the Good Die Young

**Author's Note: This chapter again has songs in it, so it's not quite as long as it looks. It's not super short though.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: I wove a plot around Jo's characters.**

**Chapter Five: Only the Good Die Young**

Rose considered herself in the bathroom mirror. She had never paid much attention to her looks; she didn't wear make-up like most of the other girls in her year and the two years below, the most she ever did with her hair was to tug a brush through it in the morning, and her daily skin care ritual consisted of a dab of face wash and a few splashes of hot water; facts that Malfoy had apparently noticed.

Which was strange in of itself. Since when did Malfoy of all people pay attention to how she looked? And, for that matter, since when did it bother her? Because, if she was honest with herself, she was bothered. Malfoy had taunted her hundreds of times about various things, her hair included, and she had never given it any thought before. So why should this time be any different?

Perhaps it was the specificity of these particular comments that had gotten to her. She lifted a lock of her hair in front of her eyes and studied it. Malfoy was right, she did have terrible split ends.

Rose picked up the un-opened makeup case her aunt Fleur had given her for her last birthday and studied the myriad of colors inside.

Well, she supposed it was worth a try…

*****INEBHG*****

"What are you reading?" Rose asked curiously, peering over Malfoy's shoulder.

The boy started violently.

"Don't _do_ that," he said, glaring up at her and rubbing his chest.

Rose bent to pick up the weighty book from the stone floor.

"_The Count of Monte Cristo?"_ she said in surprise. "None of my cousins or my brother would be caught dead with a book this big. I loved it."

"It's a little hard to keep track of all the characters," said Scorpius. "But I like the challenge."

"I had to make a character map as I went to keep track of them all," Rose admitted.

"What a mess _that_ must have been," said Scorpius.

"It was," confirmed Rose. "Here." She handed the book back to the Slytherin.

Scorpius took the volume and then paused, scrutinizing Rose's face.

"Weasley…are you wearing _makeup_?"

Rose blushed.

"Maybe. A little." she said defensively.

"And you did something with your hair."

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing," said Scorpius. "It looks…nice, is all."

And Rose spent the rest of the patrol trying to figure out how she felt about being complimented by Scorpius Malfoy.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose sat in the Quidditch stands between her two best friends, Eleonore Fouré and Jessica Bones. Hugo, Lily, and Albus were all down on the field, where Gryffindor would be playing Slytherin for the right to compete against Ravenclaw for the Quidditch Cup.

The Gryffindor team was already on the field, and Madam Belinksi, the referee, was announcing the arrival of the Slytherins.

Malfoy led his team onto the field, his pale gold hair gleaming in the sun and looking very striking against his emerald Quidditch robes. (And where had _that_ thought come from?)

Rose tried to keep her eyes fixed on the Gryffindor team during the game, but her attention kept drifting back to Malfoy.

_Why does he have to be so damn distracting? !_ She thought furiously as she almost missed Lily scoring a goal for Gryffindor.

The more she watched him the more Rose noticed that something seemed to be off about the Slytherin Captain. His broom kept drifting from side to side between the goal posts as though he didn't quite have full control over it, and he kept rubbing his chest, the same gesture Rose had noticed in him on a few earlier occasions. His fringe was plastered to his forehead with sweat before they were ten minutes into the game.

"Does it seem like something's the matter with Malfoy?" Rose asked Eleonore.

The French girl shrugged.

"I do not know. You are ze one who spends so much time with him, not me."

Rose frowned and turned back to the game. Gryffindor was ahead and their lead was increasing; the Slytherin team was definitely not on the top of their form.

No one was much surprised, therefore, when, an hour later, Albus Potter caught the Snitch, bringing a Gryffindor victory of 250 to 60.

Rose watched the two teams land on the grass of the pitch, Gryffindor triumphantly, Slytherin in disappointed defeat.

Something was definitely up with Malfoy, Rose decided as he staggered slightly when he dismounted from his broom. He almost looked ill… But surely he wouldn't be playing if it was anything serious. Even Malfoy wasn't that stupid.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose didn't see Malfoy up close again until that Monday's prefect meeting, and by then she had nearly forgotten about her thoughts during the Quidditch game. They came back to her, however, when she saw him walk into the room just ahead of the rest of the prefects.

His normally pale skin had taken on the grayish tinge of sour milk, and strands of his usually gleaming hair hung limply over his eyes, which themselves were accented by purple shadows.

He sat in his chair with none of his usual bravado, and as he addressed the prefects he occasionally rubbed his chest as though it pained him.

When the meeting was over Rose cornered him as they left the room.

"Malfoy, are you feeling alright? You don't look so good."

"As much as I appreciate your deprecating evaluation of my appearance, yes, I am perfectly fine."

Rose looked at him skeptically.

"If you say so…"

"I do. See you tonight for the Head meeting."

*****INEBHG*****

Rose hadn't meat to be late, she really hadn't. She always made it a point to arrive everywhere at least five minutes ahead of schedule, but a particularly tricky Arithmancy problem had had her completely distracted until Lily had tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Shouldn't you be going to your Head meeting?"

Rose flew down the corridor, certain that she was about to receive the taunting of her life for arriving late. She was just about to burst through the meeting room door when a strange sound made her pause.

It was music. And it was coming from behind the closed door of the meeting room…

Slowly Rose turned the handle, opened the door a crack, and peeked in.

Malfoy was seated in a chair, an acoustic guitar perched on his lap, his blonde head tipped back, silver eyes closed as his foot tapped the beat of the music he was making.

"_Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand,_

_When I say that something, I want to hold your hand_

_I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand_

_Oh please say to me you'll let me be your man_

_And please say to me you'll let me hold your hand_

_You'll let me hold your hand, I want to hold your hand._

Without realizing it Rose pushed the door open wider and stepped further into the room.

_And when I touch you I feel happy inside_

_It's such a feeling that my love I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide_

_Yeah you got that something, I think you'll understand_

_When I feel that something I want to hold your hand_

_I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand"_

Scorpius reached the last notes of the song and opened his eyes. Seeing Rose standing in the doorway, his cheeks turned bright pink.

"I didn't know you were there."

"No," said Rose. "I mean, you're really good."

"You think so?" said Scorpius. "I've never really played for anyone else before."

"Yeah," said Rose awkwardly. "I wouldn't have taken you for a Beatles fan though."

"Are you kidding?" said Scorpius. "Classic rock is my favorite. Especially the Beatles."

"Mine too," said Rose in surprise.

"Really?" said Scorpius. "But it's all about breaking the rules and walking on the wild side. Being a rebel. Not really your style."

Rose shrugged. "I know. I've just always liked the music. "What other songs do you know?"

"Tons," said Scorpius. He thought for a moment and then grinned. "I know."

He settled the guitar on his knees again and struck the first few notes with his fingers.

"Hey!" Rose exclaimed. "I love this song!"

Scorpius arched a pale brow in her direction.

"Sing with me?"

Rose nodded.

"_Come out Virginia, don't let me wait, _

_You Catholic girls start much too late._

_Ah, but sooner or later it comes down to fate_

_I might as well be the one_

_Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray_

_Built you a temple and locked you away_

_Ah but they never told you the price that you'd pay_

_For things that you might have done_

_Only the good die young_

_That's what I said_

_Only the good die young, only the good die young._

_You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd_

_We ain't too pretty and we ain't too proud_

_We might be laughing a bit too loud_

_Ah but that never hurt no one_

_So come on Virginia, show me a sign_

_Send up a signal I'll throw you a line_

_That stained glass curtain you're hiding behind _

_Never lets in the sun_

_Darlin' only the good die young_

_Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh_

_I tell ya only the good die young, only the good die young_

_You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation_

_You got a brand new soul, mmm, and a cross of gold_

_But Virginia they didn't give you quite enough information_

_You didn't count on me when you were counting on your rosary_

_Oh whoah whoah_

_They say there's a heaven for those who will wait_

_Some say it's better but I say it ain't_

_I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints_

_The sinners are much more fun_

_You know that only the good die young_

_Oh whoa baby_

_I tell ya only the good die young, only the good die young_

_You say your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation_

_Ah she never cared for me, but did she ever say a prayer for me?_

_Oh whoa whoa_

_Come out, come out, come out Virginia don't let me wait_

_You Catholic girls start much too late_

_Sooner or later it comes down to fate_

_I might as well be the one_

_You know that only the good die young_

_I'm telling you baby_

_You know that only the good die young_

_Only the good die young_

_Only the goooooooooood_

_Only the good die young_

_Only the goooooooooood_

_Only the good die young_

_Ooo ooo ooo_

_Only the good die young_

_Only the good die young…_

"You know," said Scorpius, laying down his guitar and wincing slightly as he stretched out his arms. "That's really a rather ironic song for you to be singing, Weasley, don't you think?"

"Yes, well, it has a catchy tune," said Rose defensively.

"Just making an observation," said Scorpius mildly. "And weren't we supposed to be having a meeting?"

"Yes," said Rose. "We are."

Seeing as they had all of their patrols together, the meeting didn't take very long. When they were through the two seventh years gathered up their things, crossed the Great Hall, and headed for their respective staircases.

With her foot poised above the first step, Rose suddenly turned around and blurted out, "Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you get some rest. You haven't been looking too well lately and I can't have a partner who can't pull his own weight holding me down."

Rose had expected a snappy retort, but Malfoy merely turned his face into the shadows and said, "I'll keep that in mind."

**AN: Okay, so I seem to be Glee-ifying my fic. I didn't set out to do that but…now I keep putting songs in there, lol.. & These 2 songs have even actually been on Glee. In the same episode. Hehehe. More songs to come in future chapters. & from here on in they definitely relate to the plot.**

**Shoot me a review, yeah?**

**Oh, btw, I LOVE **_**The Count of Monte Cristo**_**. I often stick references to things I like in my fics ;)**

**-SQ**


	6. Things You Don't Understand

**Author's Note: It's a good thing I didn't feel as apathetic while writing the actual chapter as I did while writing the author's note. **

**The songs I use throughout the fic are basically examples of my favorite classic rock songs. I could have easily filled it with just Beatles and Billy Joel songs, but I tried to include a good mix of classic rock artists.**

**Enjoy!**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: The songs are some of my favorites, but not mine. Ditto for the books.**

**Chapter Six: Things You Don't Understand**

Scorpius brought his guitar to their next patrol.

"What are you doing with that thing?" asked Rose, eyeing the instrument.

"This 'thing' happens to be a 150 galleon guitar. And I don't get as much chance to practice as I'd like, what with my wild popularity keeping me busy," said Scorpius, smoothing a hand down his sleek blonde hair and smirking. "I thought I'd take advantage of the relative solitude of our patrols to do so, if you don't mind."

"And if I do mind?"

"Then I thought I'd do it anyway."

"Figures," said Rose. "We're here to patrol, Malfoy, not to strum on guitars."

"I can patrol and 'strum on guitars' at the same time," said Malfoy smugly.

"Really, you can strum on multiple guitars at once?"

Scorpius gave her a _look_.

"You know what I meant, Weasley."

Rose just shrugged insolently, rather pleased with her little joke.

The two began to walk down the hall. After a minute or two of silence Scorpius put his fingers to the strings of his guitar.

"_Little ditty about Jack and Diane"_

He shot a sidelong glance at Rose.

"_Two American kids growin' up in the heartland"_

Rose couldn't help but grin. She had always loved this song.

Scorpius kept singing, to all appearances focused solely on his guitar, though Rose could have sworn she saw him wink.

"_Jackie's gonna be a football star"_

He paused. Rose did not disappoint.

"_Diane debutante backseat of Jackie's car"_

When Scorpius didn't pick up the next line after the musical interlude Rose kept going,

"_Suckin' on chili dogs outside the tastee freeze_

_Diane sittin' on Jackie's lap, he's got his hands between her knees"_

Scorpius gave up his pretense of intense concentration and sauntered toward Rose as he sang,

"_Jackie say, 'Hey Diane let's run off behind a shady tree_

_Dribble off those Bobby Brooks, let me do what I please'"_

She shoved him and his suggestive gesture away but nonetheless joined him for the chorus:

"_Say uh,_

_Oh yeah, life goes on, long after thrill of livin' is gone_

_Say uh,_

_Oh yeah, life goes on, long after thrill of livin' is gone_

_They walk on"_

Scorpius strummed out the instrumental section and then sang, acting the lines as he went along,

"_Jackie sits back, reflects his thoughts for the moment_

_Scratches his head and does his best James Dean_

_Well you know Diane, we oughtta run off to the city."_

"_Diane says, 'Baby, you aint' missin' a thing.'"_

Answered Rose sassily.

"_But Jackie say, uh_

_Oh yeah, life goes on, long after thrill of livin' is gone"_

The two Heads sang as they walked circles around each other,

"_Oh yeah, they say life goes on, long after thrill of livin' is gone."_

Rose beat the air on imaginary drums while Scorpius kept time on the body of his acoustic.

"_Oh let it rock, let it roll_

_Let the Bible Belt come and save my soul_

_Hold onto sixteen as long as you can_

_Changes come around real soon make us women and men."_

"_Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of livin' is gone_

_Oh yeah, they say life goes on, long after thrill of livin' is gone."_

"_Little ditty about Jack and Diane,_

_Two American kids doin' the best they can."_

The two teens finished the song laughing.

"See, I _can_ play and patrol at the same time," said Scorpius with a smirk. It wasn't quite his usual smirk though; something was slightly off about it. Almost as though he was in pain…

Rose smothered the ridiculous impulse to ask if he was alright. It wouldn't get her anywhere anyway. Stupid, prideful git. What did she care if he felt bad anyway? Probably faking it in hopes of garnering some sympathy from her. Well _that_ certainly wasn't going to happen! Not in this universe, Scorpius Malfoy. He could choke on his stupid songs for all she cared.

Rose quickened her steps down the corridor.

"Hey! Where are you going?" said Scorpius, breath catching as he lengthened his strides to catch up with her.

He caught her by the arm.

Big mistake.

"Don't touch me!" she snarled, wrenching away from him so hard that he stumbled.

"What's your problem Weasley?" he demanded angrily.

"What's my _problem_? _You're_ my problem! Distracting me from my Head duties with your dumb songs! Not taking your own duties seriously! I wish I had never even _heard_ of you, Scorpius Malfoy!"

"Well the feeling's mutual!" Scorpius shouted back, one hand supporting his weight on the banister.

"We wouldn't even have to do our patrols together if it weren't for you!" said Rose angrily. "It would be better if the two Head Students were split up between patrols with other prefects. But instead I'm stuck here babysitting you! And why? Because you just had to do a favor for one of your slimy snakes!"

"Don't talk about things you don't understand!" snapped Scorpius. "Bole couldn't patrol that night because he was going to visit his dying grandfather."

Rose stared at him.

Scorpius swore.

"You're not supposed to know that," he said. "No one's supposed to know that. You can't tell anyone, Rose, I'm serious. It's supposed to be confidential."

"Why?"

"Because Bole's grandfather was one of the old Death Eaters and his family has spent the last twenty-five years working to distance themselves from that. As difficult as it maybe for you to believe, he came to me because he trusts me. He knew I'd—"

"—understand."

"Yes," said Scorpius tiredly, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "Whatever you may think of me, Weasley, I am not, nor ever have any wish to be, a Death Eater."

Rose looked at him for a moment.

"I know. Come on, we have a patrol to finish."

*****INEBHG*****

"Have you noticed something off about Malfoy lately?"

Albus looked up disinterestedly at his cousin from the Quidditch plays he was mapping out.

"Not especially, no. Why?"

Rose shrugged.

"No reason. He's just been acting kind of…strange during our patrols."

"Malfoy always acts strange," said Albus.

I know," said Rose. "But this seems…I dunno…different." She decided not to mention the expression of pain she had seen on his face, or the dark circles under his eyes.

Albus shrugged.

"You'd know better than I," he said. "Though I don't see why you'd care." And with that he went back to his Quidditch plays.

*****INEBHG*****

It was Friday afternoon and Rose had the last hour before dinner free. She was on her way to the library to look for a few more independent reading books when she heard the strains of Malfoy's guitar from around the corner.

She didn't know how she knew it was Malfoy's—surely he couldn't' be the only student at Hogwarts who played the guitar—but when she rounded the corner her guess was confirmed by the sight of the tall, slim, blonde figure leaning against the stone wall, head bent over his guitar, completely absorbed by the music he was making.

"_Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?_

_Hello, I love you, let me jump in your game._

_Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?_

_Hello, I love you, let me jump in your game."_

Rose was struck by raw emotion in Malfoy's voice—it was so different than the polished put-together Prince-of-the-realm persona she was used to from him.

"_She's walking down the street_

_Blind to every eye she meets_

_Do you think you'll be the guy_

_To make the queen of the angels sigh?_

_Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?_

_Hello, I love you, let me jump in your game_

_Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?_

_Hello, I love you, let me jump in your game_

_She holds her head so high, like a statue in the sky_

_Her arms are wicked and her legs are long_

_When she moves my brain screams out this song_

_Sidewalk crouches at her feet_

_Like a dog that begs for something sweet_

_Do you hope to make her see you, fool?_

_Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel?_

_Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, hello_

_I want you, I need my baby_

_Hello, hello, _

_I need, yeah, yeah _

_Hello, hello, hello_

_Hello!_

It took Rose a few moments to regain her powers of speech, but when she did she said, "Wow. That was go—uh—wow. Thinking of anyone in particular?"

Scorpius started and fumbled his guitar, which would have fallen on the floor if it wasn't for the strap holding it in place around his chest.

"You scared me," he said, grimacing and rubbing his chest.

Why did he always do that?

"Obviously," said Rose. "You haven't answered my question."

Scorpius gave her a blank look for a second, then—

"Oh!" he said, his cheeks coloring slightly. "No, no one in particular."

Rose looked at him skeptically, taking in his slight blush and averted eyes. Right… No one sang like that for 'no one in particular'.

"Hmmm," she said. "I pity the girl. Assuming it _is_ a girl," she added, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course it's a girl!" snapped Scorpius, flushing darker. "Or at least it would be if there was anyone, which there's not."

Rose just smirked, her suspicions confirmed.

"What are you doing here anyway?" said Scorpius, changing the subject.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I needed somewhere to practice," said Scorpius. "What, is that a crime now?"

"What are you practicing for anyway?" asked Rose. "If you never play for anyone?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Myself I suppose. And you, obviously," he added with a resentful glance.

"Seems like kind of a waste," said Rose as she continued down the corridor.

"What do you mean?" Scorpius called after her.

No response.

"So, where are you going?" said Scorpius, falling into step beside her.

"The library."

"Figures," said Scorpius. "Mind if I join you? There's a book I've been meaning to check out."

"You? In the library?" said Rose.

"Hey, I didn't get to be first in our year by never cracking open a book," said Scorpius.

"Second," said Rose automatically.

"What?"

"Second. You're second in our year. I'm first."

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Debatable, but whatever."

They continued in silence to the library, where they found and checked out their respective books and then left to make their way down to dinner.

"You know," said Rose as they descended the staircase, "you really should consider playing for someone besides yourself. Well, and me. You're actually kind of good."

Scorpius raised a thin eyebrow.

"Was that a compliment? From you, Weasley?"

"Maybe," said Rose, a smile tugging at her lips.

Scorpius considered for a moment.

"I'll tell you what," he said finally. "I'll play and sing for the prefects at Monday's meeting. On one condition."

It was Rose's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"And that is…?"

"You sing with me."

"What?"

"That's my condition, take it or leave it."

Rose bit her lip. She'd never sung in front of anyone besides her immediate family and very closest friends before. Well, them and Scorpius—er—Malfoy.

"I'm waiting…" said Scorpius, tapping his foot on the stone floor

Rose looked up at him.

"Do you know 'It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me' by Billy Joel?"

Scorpius grinned.

"But of course."

**AN: Hmm, wonder who Scorpius could be thinking about? *whistles innocently***

**And look, another song that's been on **_**Glee**_**, lol. I promise not all of them have been. Glee just has good taste in music (well, usually).**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And if you did, or didn't, or somewhere in between, you can always tell me by reviewing! ;)**

**-SQ**


	7. What Do You Know About Me?

**Author's Note: Here is this chapter. There are two songs in it, which makes it look longer than it is, but you're probably getting used to that by now.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: Okay, just so we're clear, I don't own Harry Potter. And the songs? Yeah, I wasn't even born when they were written, so I don't own them either.**

**Chapter Seven: What Do You Know About Me?**

Scorpius sat cross-legged on his four-poster bed, guitar on his lap, throbbing head resting against the wall behind him.

The rest of his year-mates were down in the common room or outside on the grounds, enjoying their Saturday afternoon, but Scorpius felt too tired to join them.

Of course once he had gotten up to his dormitory he had found himself unable to sleep. So here he was, sitting cross-legged on his bed, playing sad songs on his guitar.

_Here I stand, head in hand, turn my face to the wall_

_If she's gone I can't go on feeling two foot small_

_Everywhere people stare each and every day_

_I can see them laugh at me_

_And I hear them say_

_Hey!_

_You've got to hide your love away_

_Hey!_

_You've got to hide your love away_

_How can I even try? I can never win_

_Hearing them, seeing them in the state I'm in_

_How could she say to me love will find a way?_

_Gather round, all you clowns _

_Let me hear you say_

_Hey!_

_You've got to hide your love away_

_Hey!_

_You've got to hide your love away_

Scorpius sighed and set his guitar aside. How true it was, unless of course he wanted to unleash the considerable wrath of one stuffy, fiery tempered Weasley.

*****INEBHG*****

Monday came, and Rose was starting to feel decided nervous.

"What's up with you, Rose?" asked Albus, tucking into his roast with zeal.

"I agreed to sing this fool song with Malfoy tonight in front of all the prefects," said Rose, pushing her peas around her plate with her fork.

"You're going to sing?" said Lily with interest. "I like to hear you sing."

"I didn't know Malfoy sang," said Eleonore.

"He does," Rose confirmed. "And he plays the guitar."

"Is he any good?" asked Jessica.

"Passingly," said Rose uncomfortably, unwilling to admit that Scorpius—_Malfoy_—was good at anything.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose and Scorpius met together in the back of the prefects' meeting room as the rest of the prefects shifted restlessly in their seats, wondering why they had been asked to stay after the meeting had ended.

"Are we really going to do this thing?"

"We've spent all weekend practicing," said Scorpius. "Don't tell me you're backing out on me now, Weasley."

"Of course not," said Rose. "I was just asking."

Scorpius licked his lips.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little," Rose admitted. "You?"

Scorpius nodded.

"Well, we might as well get this over with," he said, and picked up his guitar.

All eyes in the room turned to the two Heads as Scorpius struck a few wrong notes.

"Pull yourself together," Rose hissed.

Scorpius nodded. His face was alabaster white and beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than ever.

_He really is nervous_, Rose realized, watching the boy adjust his fingering on his guitar. And it struck her anew how ill her fellow head had been looking lately.

She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry about it," she whispered. "You'll do fine."

The smile he gave her in return was half grateful and half cocky.

"Of course I will."

He struck a chord, the right one this time, and began to sing, Rose answering him with every other line of the song.

"_What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?"_

"_Can't you see that your tie's too wide?_

"_Maybe I should buy some old tab collars."_

"_Welcome back to the age of jive."_

"_Where have you been hidin' out lately honey?_

"_You can't dress trashy 'till you spend a lot of money."_

They turned to face the audience shrugging as they sang the chorus:

"_Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound_

_Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me."_

This time Rose took up the first line of the verse, Scorpius answering her in turn.

"_What's the matter with the car I'm driving?"_

"_Can't you tell that it's out of style?"_

"_Should I get a set of white wall tires?"_

"_Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?"_

"_Nowadays you can't be too sentimental,_

Crooned Scorpius.

"_Your best bet's a true baby blue continental."_

And again they came together for the second chorus and the bridge:

"_Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk_

_It's still rock and roll to me._

"_Oh it doesn't matter what they say in the papers_

'_Cause it's always been the same old scene_

_There's a new band in town _

_But you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine…_

_Aimed at your average teen."_

During the chorus and the bridge the two singers had moved around their mock-stage, now they returned to their starting positions and again took up the verse, Scorpius leading.

"_How about a pair of pink sidewinders_

_And a bright orange pair of pants?"_

Rose suppressed a snort of laughter at the image Scorpius dressed in such ridiculous attire as she followed up with her own line:

"_You could really be a Beau Brummell baby_

_If you just give it half a chance."_

"_Don't waste your money on a new pair of speakers,"_

Sang Scorpius, shaking his head so that his blonde hair whipped side to side.

"_You'll get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers."_

He gestured eloquently for Rose to join him.

"_Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways_

_It's still rock and roll to me."_

"_What's the matter with the crowd I'm seeing?"_

Rose asked.

"_Can't you tell that they're out of touch,"_

Scoffed the blonde.

"_Should I try to be a straight 'A' student?"_

Scorpius's voice was smug as he replied,

"_If you are then you think too much."_

Rose narrowed her eyes and jutted out her chin as she sang condescendingly,

"_Don't you know about the new fashion, honey?_

_All you need are looks and a whole lotta money."_

Scorpius grinned and struck the next chord on his guitar with extra force, moving right up next to Rose in the process. And they both sang,

"_Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways_

_It's still rock and roll to me._

_Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound_

_Funny, but it's still rock and roll to me"_

The song ended, and the whole room erupted into applause.

"Wow, Rose, I never knew you could sing like that!"

"I didn't know you could sing at all!"

"Where did you learn to play guitar like that, Scorpius?"

"And sing at the same time! It was wicked!"

"Yeah, can you teach me?"

The two heads grinned at each other through the crowd of prefects.

_Good job_, Scorpius mouthed.

_You too,_ Rose mouthed back.

*****INEBHG*****

Nicholas Boot came up to Rose the next day after breakfast.

"I really enjoyed your performance after the meeting last night."

"Yeah?" said Rose, feeling her cheeks warm at the compliment.

"Yeah," said Nicholas, grinning at her in a way that made her heart flip over in her chest. "You know, at first when I saw that you and Malfoy were going to be Heads together I was dubious. I knew how you two felt about each other. And at first it was a little rocky, but I have to say overall I've been pleasantly surprised. You two really work well together."

"I try," said Rose modestly.

"Well, keep up the good work. Professor Longbottom definitely chose the right person to be Head Girl," said Nicholas. "See you around."

"Yeah…see you," said Rose, feeling slightly giddy.

*****INEBHG*****

Malfoy was in a foul mood during that evening's patrol for no reason that Rose could see.

"You didn't bring your guitar," Rose observed.

"No, I didn't," said Scorpius shortly.

"Why not?" Rose ventured after another minute of silence.

"I didn't feel like it," said Scorpius. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing," said Rose quickly. "Just…I thought maybe if you'd brought it we could sing something again."

"Well, I didn't bring it," said Scorpius, and left it at that.

*****INEBHG*****

"What's wrong with you today?" Rose asked Scorpius a while later as they walked the halls together, Malfoy giving the stonework some very dark looks.

"Nothing," he snapped, shoving his hand angrily through his hair, which was looking rather lanker and less sleek than usual.

"Obviously it isn't 'nothing'," said Rose in a somewhat bossy tone, "or it wouldn't have you so hot and bothered."

"I am _not_ hot and bothered," snarled the Slytherin. "And what do you know about me anyway?"

Rose opened her mouth and then closed it again.

"That's what I thought," said Scorpius spitefully.

"I know you're Head Boy and Slytherin Quidditch Captain and second in our year," said Rose. "I know you're incredibly popular and the girls are all over you. I know you act like you're too cool for school but that you actually care about doing well. I know that the other students in your house trust you. I know that you like to tell jokes and play the guitar and sing, but you'd never done the last two for anyone but yourself until yesterday, even though you're really quite good. I know you like to listen to and play classic rock music and that you like to read classic literature and you don't want to be a Death Eater. I know you're not always quite as much of a cocky, over-confident git as you'd like us all to think. I know that you haven't been sleeping well, judging from your face, and eating well either, judging from the weight you've lost recently." She paused, rather red in the face and slightly out of breath. "So. What do you know about _me_?"

Scorpius looked very surprised, and also a bit impressed.

"Well," he said slowly. "I know that you're Head Girl and first in our year. Very _closely_ followed by me. I know you're hot tempered and stubborn and a stickler for rules. I know you _don't_ play Quidditch, but you're wicked at Wizard's Chess. You read far more than can possibly be healthy for you, including Muggle classics. I know you _don't_ tell jokes, although you secretly wish that you could, but you do sing, very well, and you also listen to classic rock music. I know your 'holier-than-thou' attitude keeps away boys who would otherwise be interested and that if you brought your nose down out of the air you could actually be quite pretty. And I know you have a crush on Nicholas Boot, who isn't worthy of the ground you walk on."

Rose blinked. Who knew Scorpius Malfoy knew so much about her? She didn't know quite how to feel about that. I was a bit disconcerting, and yet…"

"You think I'm pretty?"

"I said you _could_ be pretty," corrected Scorpius without meeting her eyes. "There's a difference."

"And what do you mean Nicholas isn't worthy of the ground I walk on?"

"Just that you can do better than him, that's all," mumbled Scorpius.

Rose gave him a strange look.

"Anyways, it's not important," said Scorpius. "I think I heard a noise over this way." And he strode off down the corridor, carrying himself rather stiffly.

**AN: So yeah, Scorpius has fallen. But it looks like Rose's attentions are still caught by Nicholas Boot. So what now? You'll see in the next chapter, but feel free to use a minute of your time to review the story! :)**

**-SQ**


	8. Affairs of the Heart

**Author's Note: Something BIG happens in this chapter. Oh, yeah, and there's a song in it too. I'd write more here but, oh, wait, you probably don't want me to write more here anyway, you want to read the chapter. Okay, thanks, bye!**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter then this wouldn't be fanfiction, now would it?**

**Chapter Eight: Affairs of the Heart**

Rose was still thinking about the night before the next morning at breakfast.

What she had said was true, Malfoy _had _lost weight recently, and not in a good way. She had accused him of not eating out of pure frustration, but now she wondered if it was true.

Rose cast a sidelong glance over at the Slytherin table.

Scorpius—_Malfoy_ Rose corrected herself—was sitting near the end of the table, surrounded as usual by his many friends and admirers. A bowl of porridge and egg sat in front of him, but it didn't appear to have more than a few bites taken out of it, and the piece of buttered toast on the plate beside it didn't look as though it had been touched at all. As Rose watched Malfoy rose from the table with his usual grace and turned toward the exit of the Great Hall.

Or was it with his usual grace? Did he stumble just slightly as he stood and put a hand to his chest as though it pained him? Rose couldn't be sure.

*****INEBHG*****

"You brought your guitar today," Rose observed.

Scorpius shrugged. Or was it a wince?

"You asked me to."

"I did not _ask_ you to."

"Well I can go put it back if you want."

"I never said that."

"You never say anything, apparently."

"If only that was the case with you," said Rose.

Malfoy seemed determined to honor her request, because he remained quiet as they went about their patrol. It was Rose who finally broke the silence.

"Why haven't you been eating?"

"Huh?" said Malfoy, blinking as though to bring her into focus.

"At meals, you hardly touch your food. Why?"

"You've been watching me eat?" said Scorpius.

"Watching you _not_ eat is more like it," said Rose. "And no. I just noticed. So why?"

"I haven't been hungry."

"You need to eat, Malfoy," said Rose. "You're losing weight."

Scorpius gave her a strange look.

"What?" said Rose defensively. "I see you every day. I patrol with you three times a week. I spend all in all an absolutely ridiculous amount of time with you. I really can't help but notice."

"And it's really none of your business," said Scorpius. "You're not my mother."

"Well thank Merlin for _that_," said Rose with feeling.

"Oh, I don't know," said Scorpius. "My mother thinks I'm charming."

He struck a ridiculous pose.

Rose giggled.

"You're crazy, Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius grinned mischievously and picked up his guitar.

"Oh?"

"_Friday night I crashed your party_

_Saturday I said I'm sorry_

_Sunday came and trashed me out again_

_I was only having fun, wasn't hurting anyone_

_And we all enjoyed the weekend for a change_

_I've been stranded in the combat zone_

_I walked through Bedford Stuy alone_

_Even rode my motorcycle in the rain_

_And you told me not to drive but I made it home alive_

_So you said that only proves that I'm insane_

_You may be right"_

"Malfoy, what in Merlin's name are you doing?

"_I may be crazy"_

"Malfoy, get off of me!"

"_But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for"_

"Scorpius Malfoy, stop this insanity this instant!"

"_Turn out the light"_

"What are you—no, I am not _dancing_ with you!"

"_Don't try to save me"_

"Let go—" Rose managed to gasp out in between ill-stifled gales of laughter. "Oh do let _go_!"

"_You may be wrong for all I know but you may be right"_

Scorpius stopped trying to get Rose to dance with him and took up a rock star pose with his guitar, whipping his hair around his head in time with the music.

"_Remember how I found you there_

_Alone in your electric chair_

_I told you dirty jokes until you smiled_

_You were lonely for a man_

_I said take me as I am_

'_Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while"_

Scorpius faced her again, now acting out the lyrics with a ridiculous over-the-top theatricality. What was going _on_? Rose had never seen Scorpius act quite like this before.

"_Now think of all the years you tried to_

_Find someone to satisfy you_

_I might be as crazy as you say_

_If I'm crazy then it's true_

_That it's all because of you_

_And you wouldn't want me any other way_

Then he grinned, a smile that sent chills down Rose's spine, and began to chase her around the corridor.

"_You may be right"_

"You are absolutely mental!"

"_I may be crazy"_

"Have you lost your _mind_?"

"_But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for"_

"What if someone _sees_ us?"

"_It's too late to fight"_

"Stop chasing me you idiot!"

"_It's too late to change me"_

"We're supposed to be patrolling!"

"_You may be wrong for all I know but you may be right"_

By now Rose was too out of breath and laughing too hard to do anything but stand there staring at the madman that had replaced her cool and collected Slytherin partner.

"_You may be right, I may be crazy_

_But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for_

_Turn out the light, don't try to save me_

_You may be wrong for all I know but you may be right_

_You may be wrong but you may be right_

_You may be wrong but you may be right_

_You may be wrong but you may be right!"_

Scorpius landed on his knees, coming to a sliding stop at Rose's feet, panting heavily. He looked up at her, pushing his hair away from his eyes.

Rose just shook her head.

"Insufferable," she pronounced as she helped him to his feet. "Talented, but absolutely insufferable."

Scorpius shrugged and shouldered his guitar, rubbing his chest.

"I'll take what I can get."

*****INEBHG*****

Rose stifled a yawn. What a night to be out patrolling. What with the combination of Astronomy, a very difficult Potions essay, and Lauren Terrance's snoring she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and now she was stuck patrolling the corridors with Malfoy when she would much rather be in bed.

Not that patrolling with Malfoy was actually _so _bad, Rose conceded grudgingly. Recently they had actually started, well to, for lack of a better word, get along. It wasn't her idea of a fabulous time, but there were certainly things Rose could think of that she would less like to be doing. Except that tonight Malfoy was dawdling.

"Hurry _up_, Malfoy," she said for the dozenth time. "Is your mother a snail?" she added, hoping to rile the Slytherin boy into walking faster.

But Malfoy said nothing.

Rose glanced back at him. He was several meters behind her now, leaning against the hard stone wall beneath a torch bracket.

"What about 'hurry up' don't you understand, Malfoy?" Rose demanded.

Scorpius lifted his head. His face was white and his hands appeared to be trembling.

"Give me a minute."

"Are you okay?" said Rose, taking an involuntary step toward the Slytherin.

I'm fine," said Scorpius shortly. "I just need a minute."

"Are you sure?" said Rose. "You look really—"

"I'm _fine_," repeated Scorpius, pushing himself up off the wall. "Let's go."

They continued on their way, Rose casting sidelong glances at Malfoy as they went.

After a few minutes he began to fall behind again, breathing heavily and rubbing his chest. When Rose realized that she could no longer hear his footsteps behind her she turned around.

Malfoy had stopped altogether. He was standing in the middle of the corridor, clutching his chest, face contorted in pain. His whole body appeared to be shaking.

"Malfoy?" said Rose, suddenly scared. "Malfoy, something's wrong. I should—"

She never finished saying what she should do, if she had even known in the first place, because at that moment Scorpius collapsed to the floor senseless.

"_Scorpius!"  
_

Rose ran to the prone boy and fell to her knees by his side before the echo of her cry had finished ringing through the empty corridor.

Scorpius lay there in a dead faint. Up close he looked even worse. His skin had a grayish, waxy tint to it and was beaded with sweat. The circles under his eyes had acquired the dark purple coloring of bruises and his cheeks were sunken into his face. When Rose pressed her hand to his side she could feel his ribcage.

Rose's mind had gone blank. What should she do? ! Her fellow Head had just collapsed in the middle of their patrol! There was no handbook for this! Her breath began to come in short, painful gasps as panic set in.

_Pull yourself together, Rose!_ She told herself sternly.

What to do, what to do, what to do…

_Check if he's breathing._

Rose lowered her ear to Scorpius's parted lips. Breath flowed from them, thank Merlin, but in was shallow and irregular.

_I have to get him to the hospital wing._

Rose pulled out her wand and pointed it at the prostrate Slytherin.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

Wand arm shaking, heart pounding, hysteria held barely at bay, Rose half walked, half ran as fast as she dared in the direction of the hospital wing.

"Madam Lear! Madame Lear!" she cried as soon as the door was in sight. _"Madam Lear!"_

"For Merlin's sake, what is it, child?" said the nurse, poking her head out of her office as Rose stumbled over the threshold into the hospital wing.

"M-Malfoy!" panted Rose, now close to tears. "He—He collapsed while we were on patrol. He hasn't been looking well for days—weeks really."

Madame Lear leaned over Scorpius as Rose lowered him shakily onto a bed and sank into a chair as though her limbs had turned to jelly.

"Can you tell me what happened just before he collapsed?" said the nurse, while checking Scorpius's vitals.

"He was having trouble keeping up with me," said Rose, her blind panic ebbing slightly now that she wasn't the one in charge of the situation. "He stopped. I think he was having trouble breathing. He was clutching his chest like it was hurting him. Then he started shaking and then he—he just fell."

"Clutching his chest?" said the nurse, looking up.

Rose nodded. "He's been doing it a lot lately. And he's been looking really pale and ill. I don't think he's been sleeping or eating much either. He's definitely lost weight. When I asked he said he was fine, but…"

"He should have come to me sooner," said Madame Lear, busying herself with several things at once. "I think this may be very serious."

"How serious?"

The nurse looked at her briefly.

"I'll have to make a more thorough examination to be sure of the diagnosis, but it looks as though there is a problem with his heart."

Rose felt herself go cold.

"But he'll—he'll be alright, won't he?" she said. "It's a problem you can fix, right?"

"I certainly hope so," was the nurse's terse reply.

**AN: Duh duhn duhn duhn…now you know what's wrong with Scorpius. On a slightly happier note, wasn't that just the perfect song for Scor to sing to her? Hehe.**

**I'd loooooove to hear your thoughts on the matter! *not-so-subtle hint***

**-SQ**


	9. More Important Than the Rules

**Author's Note: A long chapter! At least compared to the others for this story, & for most of my stories actually. I had the last scene planned forever. Of course it changed a bit when I actually wrote it, butit was exciting to finally write. :) Hope you enjoy it.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: We all know who owns Harry Potter. We all know it's not me.**

**Chapter Nine: More Important Than the Rules**

"Oh my God, Rose, what's the matter?"

Lily came down the stairs from her dormitory on Saturday morning to find Rose sitting on the floor beside the portrait hole, eyes bloodshot and staring into space.

When her cousin didn't answer her Lily crossed the common room and squatted down in front of her.

"Rose? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Sc-corpius," said Rose.

"What about him?" asked Lily, wondering what in Merlin's name Malfoy could have done to warrant such a reaction from her cousin.

"He—he's in the hospital wing," said Rose in a strangled voice. "He collapsed during our patrol. The nurse said it's his heart."

"Oh my God," said Lily again, her hands flying to her mouth. "Is he going to be okay?"

"We don't know," said Rose helplessly. "We don't know."

Lily put her arms around her obviously very shaken cousin.

"How awful. And you saw it happen?"

Rose nodded, her eyes haunted.

"He started shaking and then he just…fell. One minute he was talking to me and the next…" She closed her eyes as though to block out the images. "I knew there was something wrong with him. Didn't I tell you there was something wrong with him?"

"How long have you been here?" asked Lily, taking in Rose's distinctly rumpled school robes for the first time.

Rose shrugged. She had stayed in the hospital wing until Madame Lear had finally made her leave, telling her that there was nothing more she could do and to go get some sleep.

"Come on." Lily hauled her cousin to her feet; Rose offered no resistance. "Have you slept at all?"

Rose shook her head.

"Well, that's the first thing you need to do then. Forget about Malfoy. There's nothing you can do for him that isn't already being done.

Rose nodded and let her cousin lead her up to her dormitory. The rest of her year mates were still asleep. Rose climbed into her bed mechanically and shut her eyes, but it didn't make any difference; open or shut the image of Scorpuis's still, waxy face seemed burned into her retinas

*****INEBHG*****

Rose was unsurprised to find, when she finally descended from her dormitory at half past noon, that the entirety of Gryffindor House seemed to have at least a general idea of what had happened. Albus, Hugo, Jessica, and Eleonore had been filled in to the best of Lily's knowledge through what Rose had told her that morning, and the five of them immediately left their seats and came over to her while the rest of the common room kept a wary distance.

"Are you okay?" This was Hugo, looking in concern at his sister.

Rose nodded robotically.

"We brought you lunch," said Jessica.

"I nicked it from the kitchens," added Albus.

Lily rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Because that is oh-so-difficult."

"Thanks," said Rose, accepting the food and realizing with some surprise that she was famished.

The other five looked at each other. Rose hadn't even reprimanded Albus for sneaking into the kitchens, which both broke school rules and 'bothered the poor, hard-working house-elves'.

Rose noticed them hovering awkwardly around her.

"I'm fine," she said. "I just need to eat something and—and work on my homework."

"Only Rose would think about homework at a time like this," said Albus.

"I'm pretty sure it's her coping mechanism for stress," said Eleonore.

"We realize you must be rattled about what happened, Rose," said Hugo. "That would be kind of traumatic, having someone collapse in front of you like that. But just promise us you won't think yourself to death over it, okay?"

Rose nodded. They didn't understand. It wasn't the fact that someone had collapsed in front of her. It was the fact that that someone had been Malfoy. It seemed absolutely unreal. Malfoy—cocky, confident, indomitable Malfoy—lying there pale and still in a hospital bed, devoid of light and life.

And he might die. Madame Lear hadn't said it outright, but that had been what she meant.

Scorpius Malfoy might die. Merlin, how many times had she wished the fool boy out of her life? But she had never thought it would actually happen. He was a constant in her life; a maddening but dependable thorn in her side. Rose honestly couldn't imagine life at Hogwarts without Scorpius. They had hated each other from their first train ride to school back at the beginning of their first year; competed to be the best in their classes, the best prefect, the best Head student… How could he just be gone?

*****INEBHG*****

An emergency prefects' meeting was called that evening before dinner.

Rose stood in front of the gathered prefects, next to Professor Longbottom, feeling numb.

"As I am sure you have heard," said Professor Longbottom, "our Head Boy, Scorpius Malfoy, has been taken ill. Madame Lear believes there to be a problem with his heart. His current condition is critical but stable. While Madame Lear informs me that he did regain consciousness for a brief period of time today, we have decided that the level of care he requires can only be administered at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. In light of this, the Heads of Houses and I have agreed to instate Nicholas Boot as acting Head Boy in Scorpius Malfoy's stead."

Professor Longbottom motioned for Nicholas to join him and Rose at the front of the room.

"I trust that you will treat your new Head Boy with as much respect as you gave your old one," said Professor Longbottom. "Our thoughts and prayers go toward Scorpius Malfoy's recovery. You are dismissed for dinner."

The prefects rose in a wave of muted murmuring. Nicholas turned to Rose.

"I look forward to working with you, Rose," he said, smiling at her. Rose just nodded. "See you later then," said Nicholas.

*****INEBHG*****

Professor Longbottom made a similar speech to the entire school at dinner, but Rose barely heard a word of it. Her brain, which had been numb for the majority of the day, was suddenly churning at a painful pace. Scorpius was in critical but stable condition. Something was wrong with his heart. He was being sent to Saint Mungo's. Nicholas Boot was replacing him as Head Boy. This, more than anything, made it seem frighteningly permanent. How could they be replacing him already! ? He hadn't even left the school yet! This time yesterday he had been sitting at the Slytherin table, laughing and joking with his friends and admirers. Tomorrow he would be taken to the Intensive Care Ward at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and Rose might never see him again. Why was that thought so excruciatingly painful?

Several hours later Rose was still struggling with those thoughts. It was past Curfew and the younger students were starting to trickle up to bed. Rose sat alone in front of the fireplace. Her friends and family had tried and failed to engage her in games or conversation, and now left her alone in peace to try and sort out her muddled thoughts.

It was obvious, oh so painfully obvious, to Rose that what she felt toward Scorpius no longer even resembled hatred. It wasn't even dislike. She didn't know if she could consider them _friends_, but, well, they certainly acted like it at times. Then again, at other times they still acted like they hated each others' guts. But perhaps that was more out of habit than anything else? Not that Scorpius didn't infuriate her to no end sometimes, oh he did, but other times… Oh damnit! How _did_ she feel about that boy? She didn't want him to die, that was certain; she felt cold just thinking about it. And suddenly she knew something else with equal certainty: she had to see him again. Just once, possibly for the last time, before he was gone. To say…what? She didn't even know. Goodbye? That she was sorry? That she didn't hate him anymore? That she felt…how she felt. And how _did_ she feel exactly? What did these feelings mean? And how in Merlin's name was she supposed to tell Scorpius if she couldn't even tell herself? And that was if he could even hear her, which was highly doubtful in any case.

Rose was on her feet and halfway to the portrait hole before she remembered that it was past Curfew.

Now what was she going to do? She had never, _ever_, in all her seven years at Hogwarts, snuck out of her House past Curfew. But if she waited until tomorrow morning it would be too late. Scorpius would already be at Saint Mungo's and out of her reach. Rose swallowed and changed course toward her cousin, who was sitting at a table with his Quidditch team.

"Albus?"

The black-haired boy looked up.

"Yes?"

"Can I, um, borrow your Cloak?"

*****INEBHG*****

Rose crept through the darkened corridors, heart in her throat. Every step she took seemed to echo off the stone walls and every shadow looked like a teacher coming to drag her off to Professor Longbottom's office. It seemed to take forever to reach the hospital wing, but finally Rose stood outside the doors.

She peered cautiously through the window. No one there.

Careful not to make a sound, she opened the door a fraction and slipped inside, tiptoeing over to the bed where Scorpius lay, connected to a magical contraption that was hidden under a large drape and shimmering with the effects of many spells cast on him. She perched herself on the stool beside the bed, nearly missing it in the dark.

Scorpius's eyelids flickered.

"Who's there?"

Rose stifled a gasp. Oh Merlin. She hadn't expected him to be awake.

"I know someone's there," said Scorpius. His voice was strained and breathy.

Rose lowered the hood of the Invisibility Cloak and let it slide from her shoulders.

"_Rose?"_

"Uh, hi…"

Rose looked down at him and willed herself not to cry. He looked like a shadow of the boy she knew.

"Rose, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"I heard they were going to send you to the Saint Mungo's Intensive Care Ward early tomorrow"—she checked her watch—"well, this morning. I had to see you first."

Scorpius looked as incredulous as someone with barely the ability to move his facial muscles could look.

"_Why?"_

"I—I don't know," admitted Rose. "I just—had to."

She couldn't take her eyes off his face, framed by all that pale hair. What if she never saw it again? She swallowed a sob.

"Rose?"

She touched his hand, gently.

"Rose, what is this all about? It's the middle of the night—you—Merlin's pants you're breaking the rules!"

"Some things are more important than rules."

Her fingers were still touching his, just barely. He wanted to take her hand, to sit up so he could see her face properly, to not appear so horribly _weak_ in front of her. But it was all he could do to make his mouth form words.

"I thought nothing was more important than the rules."

Rose leaned forward into the shaft of moonlight coming through the parted curtains. Scorpius was startled to see tears glistening on her cheeks.

Rose was suddenly hit by the reality that this might be her only chance to show Scorpius how she felt about him—even if she wasn't quite sure what that was herself. What did she have to lose?

"This was."

Scorpius gasped in shock as Rose's lips pressed against his. He would have sworn he was having heart failure if he hadn't already known what that felt like. Oh sweet Merlin, oh sweet _fucking_ Merlin, Rose Weasley was kissing him.

The fact that Rose Weasley was _actually kissing him_ barely had a chance to register in his drug and pain-clouded mind before she pulled back, dark red curls falling across her flushed cheeks.

Scorpius found that all rational thought, as well as the ability to physically do anything, had completely deserted him.

Rose bit her lip.

"I-I have to go now—before I'm caught. I really, _really_ hope you get better, Scorpius."

She leaned forward once more, and Scorpius thought she was going to kiss him again, but then she stood, scooped something up off the floor and was gone as if she had never been. This was too much for Scorpius, and his tenuous grip on consciousness left him in a rush.

**AN: Confused feelings! Churning thoughts! Daring actions! Yipes! Now what? I guess you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out ;) Don't keep your thoughts in your head, send them to me in a review!**

**-SQ**


	10. Please, Mister Postman

**Disclaimer: Just 'cause I like to play with them doesn't mean they're mine**

**Chapter Ten: Please, Mister Postman**

There was no way around it: Rose Weasley had it bad for Scorpius Malfoy.

How had this happened?

It didn't make any sense!

It was utterly, completely, and _impossibly_ ridiculous.

And undeniably true.

But _how_? This was the boy she had utterly loathed for six and a half years of her life. The smooth-talking, show-offy, devil-may-care, funny, dashing, full-of-surprises—oh dear Merlin, what was she _saying_?

Rose sank her head into her hands.

Why in the name of all Merlin had she kissed him? And what if he didn't feel the same way about her? What if he _did_? The songs he had sung had sometimes _sounded_ as though… But he was so hard to read, acting this way one minute and that way the next. And she wasn't the kind of girl who just went around _kissing_ people. The only other kiss she'd ever had in her life was Roger Bones back in their third year, and that had been more of an experiment than anything else.

Why her? Why _now_? Why now, when the boy in question, who may or may not like her back, might be—no, she couldn't say it, couldn't even think it. Because if she did then she would break down, and no one could know, that was imperative. Until she knew…whatever there was to know, no one _else_ could know how she felt about Scorpius.

*****INEBHG*****

Since Nicholas Boot had taken over Scorpius's Head Boy position and duties, he had also taken over his patrols with Rose. It felt beyond strange to be walking the empty corridors with someone who wasn't Scorpius. Rose kept glancing to the side, expecting to see that silky blonde hair and signature smirk, and instead being met with Nicholas's chocolate brown eyes and chiseled features; a face that used to send pleasurable tingles through her chest, but which now she hardly even registered as her gaze passed over it.

"Say Rose, what are you doing tomorrow after dinner?"

Rose shrugged.

"Probably studying."

"If you want to take a break I know a corridor up near Ravenclaw tower where hardly anyone ever goes."

"Oh, okay, thanks, but I think I'll just stick to Gryffindor Tower," said Rose.

"Alright, well, if you change your mind you know where to find me," said Nicholas. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble answering the riddle."

Rose just nodded absently.

After another minute Nicholas came up beside her and took her arm.

"Knut for your thoughts?"

Rose started slightly at the sudden physical contact.

"Oh…nothing much. Just…classes and exams and things like that."

"Exams aren't for another three months, Rosie," said Nicholas teasingly.

"It's never too early to be prepared, Nicholas."

"Please, all my friends call me Nick."

"Okay."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, Nicholas's arm still locked with Rose's. Rose wished he would let her go; her shoulder was starting to cramp up. Finally Nicholas spoke again.

"Rose, are you not interested in me anymore or are you really that oblivious?"

"Sorry?"

Nicholas stopped walking and Rose, whose arm was still linked with his, was forced to stop too.

"I've been flirting with you for the last hour and a half. I thought I had made it pretty obvious."

Rose just stared at him.

Nicholas rocked back on his heels.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was kind of under the impression that you had a crush on me."

He looked at her expectantly. Rose realized he was waiting for a confirmation or negation of this statement.

"I…um…Nick…" she looked at him and she tried, she really, really tried to feel that same jittery feeling she used to feel whenever she looked at him. But now all she saw was a tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed, square-hawed, admittedly handsome boy, who wasn't Scorpius Malfoy.

"I did have a crush on you," she admitted.

"Ah," said Nicholas. "You did. Past tense."

Rose nodded.

Nicholas rocked forward onto his toes again and considered her for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"It's him, isn't it?"

Rose's "Excuse me?" came out as more of a squeak.

"I did start to wonder, with the two of you spending so much time together. But I thought there was no possible way you could fall for him with the history you two had."

"Who—who are you talking about?"

"Scorpius Malfoy, of course, don't pretend like you don't know, it's completely unconvincing in someone so intelligent. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," he added when Rose opened her mouth to deny the accusation. He offered her his arm again. "Walk you back to your tower?"

Nicholas and Rose walked in awkward silence until they stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Well, this is where I leave you," said Nicholas. "I'm sorry I didn't take up my opportunity sooner, and I hope he—I hope everything works out."

He turned to leave and then glanced back over his shoulder. "Here's to hoping you might change your mind, though. 'Night Rose."

"Goodnight, Nick," said Rose, and she gave the password to the Fat Lady and climbed the stairs to her dormitory, feeling more confused than ever.

*****INEBHG*****

Nicholas Boot—Nick—was nothing more or less than cordial and friendly toward Rose for the rest of the week, but she could feel his eyes on her whenever they were in a room together. It baffled and frustrated her that at any time during the last three years she would have been in seventh heaven to be receiving this kind of attention from Nicholas Boot, and now that she was actually receiving it the only thing she felt was vaguely uncomfortable.

Nick _was_ charming and handsome and understanding and the perfect gentleman; everything Rose had always imagined that she wanted in a guy. But how could Nick's charming compare to Scorpius's sarcasm? How could Nick's handsome compare to Scorpius's sexy? How could Nick's understanding compare to Scorpius's attitude? How could Nick's chivalry compare to Scorpius's spontaneity?

On the other hand, Rose _knew_ how Nick felt about her. It had been over a week since Scorpius had been admitted to Saint Mungo's and she hadn't received a single word from him. Was it silly to have expected _something_ from the boy she had snuck out in the middle of the night to tell—okay, show—that she had feelings for him? Either he didn't want to contact her, or he couldn't. She didn't know which idea was worse.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose could not believe she was doing this. It was completely out of character, completely un-Rose-like…and so very, very Malfoy.

As Head Girl Rose had access to all of the House passwords, as well as those for the Prefects' Bathroom and the Headmaster's Office. The Head students possessed this knowledge with the strict understanding that they were only to use it when it proved absolutely necessary. Rose had never, ever abused this power; she would have been offended if someone had even suggested it. In fact, Scorpius _had_ suggested abusing it a few times and she had been offended, and there she was, thinking about Scorpius again.

Rose gathered herself up. What was she doing, slinking and sneaking around like some sort of delinquent? She was Head Girl; she had every right to be here. Smoothing out her robes she strode up to the stone door barring the entrance to the Slytherin common room and stated firmly, "Hubris."

There was no one in the common room, as she had known there wouldn't be; everyone was still in the Great Hall eating dinner.

Rose looked around. The inside of the dungeon looked just like she had envisioned it; all gray stone and emerald velvet, austere and imposing, comfortable but not comforting.

Rose's trainers tapped across the stone floor toward the seventh year boys' dormitory. She almost expected the door handle to be booby-trapped, but it opened without issue.

Inside it looked almost exactly like the Gryffindor dormitories, except of course for the color-scheme; green and silver as opposed to crimson and gold.

Feeling slightly foolish, Rose knelt and peered beneath each of the beds in turn until she saw the telltale shape of a guitar case.

Rose pulled out the guitar and sat down on Scorpius's bed, holding the instrument in her lap. She stroked the dark wood of the body and then settled her fingers lightly against the strings as she had seen Scorpius do.

_Strum_

It didn't sound like it did when Scorpius played it, but it wasn't terrible.

She tried another one, humming a note to go along with it.

_Maybe, if—_when_ he comes back from the hospital he can teach me how to play._

She struck another chord and began to sing softly, her fingers moving hesitantly over the strings, picking out a note here, a chord there.

_Wait, oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman_

_Wait, wa-a-a-ait Mister Postman_

_Mister Postman, look and see_

_(Oh yeah)_

_Is there a letter in your bag for me?_

_(Please, please, Mister Po-o-ostman)_

_I been waiting such a long time_

_(Oh yeah)_

_Since I heard from that guy of mine_

_There must be some word today-ay-ay_

_From that boy so far away_

_Please Mister Postman look and see_

_If there's a letter, a letter for me_

_I been standing here waiting, Mister Postman_

_So-o-o patiently_

_For a card or just a letter_

_Saying he's returning here to me_

_Please Mister Postman, _

_Mister Postman, look and see_

_(Oh yeah)_

_Is there a letter in your bag for me?_

_(Please, please, Mister Po-o-ostman)_

_I've been waiting a long, long time_

_(Oh yeah)_

_Since I heard from that guy of mine_

_So many days you passed me by-y-y_

_See the tear standing in my eye_

_You didn't stop to make me feel better_

_By leaving me a card or a letter_

_Oh Mister Postman, _

_Mister Postman look and see-ee-ee_

_Is there a letter in your bag for me?_

_I've been waiting such a long time_

_Since I heard from that guy of mine_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_Wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Check it and see, one more time for me_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah-ah_

_Wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Mist po-o-ostman_

_Oh yeah_

_Deliver the letter, the sooner the better_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah_

_You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute_

_Oh yeah…_

**AN: No, Rose isn't' really playing the guitar, she doesn't know how to play the guitar, she's just plucking a couple notes & chords by ear & what she remembers from watching Scorpius play. Thanks for reading. Double thanks for everyone who revieeeeeeews!**

**-SQ**


	11. No One Important

**Author's Note: There are letters in this chapter. I love letters :) Also Scorpius is kind of in this chapter, you'll see what I mean if you haven't figured it out already.**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter just as much as you do**

**Chapter 11: No One Important**

Rose was sitting at the Gryffindor table, concentrating intensely on her eggs and bacon so that she wouldn't have to think about anything else, when Jessica exclaimed, "Rose! Look! There's a letter for you!"

Rose looked up just in time to see an official looking owl drop the parchment envelope neatly beside her plate and then fly off again as if it had somewhere extremely important to be.

The envelope was addressed in an unfamiliar, square, and formal looking script.

"'Oo's i' from?" asked Hugo, leaning over and spraying bits of egg onto the parchment.

"Gross, Hugo!" said Lily, smacking his arm. "Who is it from, Rosie?"

Rose turned the letter over and looked at the back; it bore the seal of Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

"Well?"

Rose swallowed, her throat suddenly as dry as sandpaper.

"N-no one. It's nothing, nothing important. I'll see you later; there's something I've got to…check on! In the…library!" And she took off from the table, letter clutched to her chest.

Lily, Hugo, Albus, Jessica, and Eleonore looked at each other.

"Okay…"

"What was _that_ about?"

*****INEBHG*****

Rose slid into a sitting position against the wall and opened the parchment with unsteady hands.

_Dear Rose,_

_I suppose I ought to thank you for coming to visit me that night in the hospital wing, especially since I haven't exactly been the kindest to you in the past. And you'd better appreciate that, Weasley, because you're not going to hear it from me very often._

_I hope you're not mad at me for not writing you sooner; today is the first day I've been able to sit up and hold a quill for long enough to pen this. In case you care, the healers say that I'm going to be alright. It is a problem with my heart, a pretty severe one, actually, and I am lucky to be alive. Another thing I have to thank you for I guess. I should hate you for that, Rose Weasley, putting me in your debt—as if I didn't have enough reasons to hate your already. Ah, how easy it would be if that was true. Unfortunately, I don't hate you, and I'm thinking it's possible you don't quite hate me either. But damn you, Rose Weasley, if you're playing me for a fool by kissing me like that! You haven't even written me since I've been here. Not that I'm desperate or anything, but it isn't very polite, you know, to go and kiss someone and then not even write them when they may be dying._

_The healer says I have to stop writing now, and I don't have anything else to say to you anyway. I do hope you'll write me back._

_Affectionately yours,_

_Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Head Boy Extraordinaire_

Rose laughed through the tears running down her face. Same old Scorpius Malfoy; some things never change.

_Thank Merlin._

*****INEBHG*****

"Why won't you tell us who that letter was from, Rose?" asked Albus, leaning over the back of Rose's chair that evening in the common room.

"Al!" said Rose, jumping so that she nearly spilled her ink. "Don't do that! And it's none of your business."

"Whatcha writing?" her cousin asked, undeterred.

"Nothing. Homework," said Rose, moving the parchment out of Albus's line of vision.

"Then how come you're hiding it from me?" asked Albus.

"So you don't try and copy it," Rose retorted. "Leave me alone, please; I'm trying to work."

"Work, work, work, that's all you ever do," said Albus. "No wonder you can never get a date."

"For your information Nicholas Boot asked me out last week," said Rose hotly.

Albus's mouth dropped open.

"He didn't !"

"He did."

"When is the date?" asked Eleonore excitedly.

"There isn't one."

"But you just said—"

"I said he asked me, not that I said yes."

"But you've had a crush on him forever!" said Jessica.

"Yes, well, that was then," said Rose evasively. "Can you please let me work now? I have to have this finished by tonight."

*****INEBHG*****

_Dear Scorpius,_

_It is about time you wrote me! Of course I care, you twit; I didn't write you because I didn't know if you would want me to. I guess it is pretty obvious that I don't exactly hate you anymore. I can't even be angry with you, I've been so worried. What exactly happened? You are going to be okay, right?_

_I thought you might want to know that Nicholas Boot has stepped in as Acting Head Boy in your absence. He is doing a fairly good job, and certainly doesn't break NEARLY as many rules as you do, though he doesn't have your…flair either._

_And no, I wasn't playing you for a fool when I kissed you, though I felt like one myself after I did it, not knowing if you even thought about me that way at all. And I feel even more like a fool asking this, but I suppose it must be asked: DO you think about me that way? I know Nicholas Boot does, he told me a few days ago, but honestly I am more interested in knowing if you do._

_Be well, Scorpius_

_Yours,_

_Rose Hermione Weasley_

*****INEBHG*****

Rose scanned the flurry of post owls intently. It had been two days since she had sent her letter to Scorpius and… Aha! Yes, there was the same official looking owl, or one very similar, a stiff parchment envelop tied to its leg.

"Who is it from, Rose?" asked Jessica, leaning over to look at the letter. "It looks important."

Rose tucked the envelope away quickly into the pocket of her robes.

"Nobody. It's not."

"Nobody?" said Albus, raising his eyebrows. "That's the second letter you've gotten from 'Nobody' this week."

"It's none of your business," said Rose.

"Whose business is it, then?" asked Hugo. "It can't be anything illegal, seeing as it's you…" He gasped. "It's a boy, isn't it! ?"

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Rose, spots of color appearing high on her cheekbones.

"I'll bet it is a boy," said Eleonore. "That is why she would not go out with Nicholas Boot."

"But why would a boy from Hogwarts be writing to her by owl post?" asked Jessica.

"To make it more romantic," sighed Lily. "Maybe it _is_ Boot, trying to win her heart."

"Or maybe he's not _from_ Hogwarts," said Hugo. "Maybe he graduated last year, or maybe she met him in Hogsemead or Diagon Alley!"

"Or maybe there isn't any boy at all," said Rose. "Just shut up about it, will you?"

"Come on, Rose, just tell us who it is…." cajoled Lily.

"No!" said Rose.

"So it _is_ someone," said Albus, grinning.

"No!" said Rose in frustration. "Stop trying to back me into corners!"

"Rose?"

The group of Gryffindors turned and looked at the speaker. It was Nicholas Boot.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to go over the revisions to the prefect patrol map before Monday's meeting."

"Of course," said Rose. "Why don't we do that now and get it over with?" And she pushed back her seat and followed Nicholas out of the Great Hall, already thinking up ways to ditch him so that she could read her letter.

*****INEBHG*****

Unfortunately, reviewing the patrol map revisions took up all of Rose's remaining time before her first class, and it wasn't until lunch, when she pretended to have left something she needed up in her dormitory, that she finally got a chance to read Scorpius's letter.

_Rose,_

_Why are we writing as though we barely know each other? We've known each other for nearly seven years. How are you? Surviving the lack of my inspiring presence? And they've done WHAT? __**I**__ am Head Boy at Hogwarts; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I meant it when I said that Nicholas Boot isn't worthy of the ground you walk on. I do think about you, all the time, and if he so much lays a finger on you he will have me to answer to._

_In answer to your questions, yes, barring any complications I am going to be alright. What happened isn't so much of an occurrence as a condition. I could go into all of the Healer jargon, and I know we'd both understand it, and pretend we did even if we didn't for the sake of our pride, but to put it simply, my heart is weak. Apparently it always has been; it doesn't pump strongly enough or quickly enough to keep up with what my body needs it to do. Basically, if you run a marathon, or are under a massive amount of pressure, or fly on a broom to a very high altitude, that would put a strain on your heart. All I have to do to put that same strain on my heart is to run up a flight of stairs or be under the stress of a big school project or to fly on a broom pretty much anywhere. In addition, it takes my heart longer to recover from this additional strain than it would for most wizards'. The bad news is that this isn't a problem that can be fixed, by magic or by any other means. The good news is that there are some things (exercises, potions, precautions, charms, etc) that can help. I promise you, Rose, I will be fine, and back at Hogwarts in my rightful capacity as Head Boy to your Head Girl before you know it. The healers are doing everything they can for me here and they have me hooked up to all kinds of machines, under a variety of charms, and taking a ridiculous number of medications. Stay away from that Nicholas Boot._

_I miss you; it is really exceedingly boring here._

_Possessively yours,_

_Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, One Half of the Best Team of Head Students to Ever Grace the Halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_P.S. Do you think you could send me my guitar? It is in my dormitory underneath my bed._

**AN: No, I won't be showing Scorpius when he's in the hospital, other than through his letters. Despite the glimpses into Scorpius's POV that we've gotten, this is Rose's story, and will remain so.**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews never get old ;)**

**-SQ**


	12. You Can't Always Get What You Want

**Author's Note: So at the end of the last chapter I forgot to put in the P.S. on Scorpius's latest letter, which is kind of important for this chapter. I went back and added it, and also put it at the very beginning of this chapter. Sorry about that .**

**And yes, Wispi (& everyone else who has made comments, positive, negative, or neutral about the appearance of songs in this fic) there is a song in this chapter. As if you can't gather that from the last line of the last chapter'1****st**** line of this one (as I mentioned before, they are now 1 and the same).**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: Obviously this means I don't claim to own Harry Potter or anything there affiliated, except for a few pieces of merchandise**

**Chapter Twelve: You Can't Always Get What You Want (If You Even Know What That is)**

_P.S. do you think you could send me my guitar? It is in my dormitory underneath my bed._

Rose felt slightly guilty when she read Scorpius's request for her to send him his guitar. The instrument in question was not, as he had said in his letter, in his dormitory under his bed, but rather in _Rose's_ dormitory under _Rose's _bed. Still, the fact that the permission to remove the guitar came behind the actual removal was a detail Rose didn't feel the need to mention to its owner.

She woke early and took the guitar up to the owlery unobserved. It took her own owl, Othello, and three school owls to carry the package. Once she had secured them with the guitar she tied a note to Othello's leg.

_Scorpius,_

_You have a point, we know each other far too well to be so formal; some might say far too well period. I'm sending your guitar, but please take it easy, I don't know as much about Healing as I should, but your condition sounds serious._

_I'll stay away from Nicholas, though I can't promise he'll stay anyway from me, but only because __**I **__want to, not because you told me to, Scorpius Malfoy._

_Keep me updated on your condition._

_I miss you too, and I'm waiting for your return_

_Very much yours,_

_Rose Hermione Weasley, Hogwarts Headgirl_

*****INEBHG*****

Rose's friends and family were still on her case about who she was receiving the mysterious letters from.

"Do you not _know_ who it is, Rose, is that it?" asked Eleonore. "Do you 'ave a secret admirer?"

"Don't be absurd, Elle," snapped Rose.

"Then who is it and who keeps sending you letters that you so desperately don't want us to see?" persisted Jessica.

"How do even know they're all from the same person?" said Rose.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Because they're all delivered by the same owl, Rose. Come on, who is he?"

"None of your business," replied Rose. "And who says it's a guy anyway? Now if you'll excuse me, I have corridors to patrol."

*****INEBHG*****

It was very easy to talk to Nick, perhaps because he was the only one who knew about Scorpius.

"Have you gotten another letter from him?" asked Nick as they strolled down the corridor.

"Not yet," said Rose. "But it's only been two days."

"Don't you think it's a little sketchy," said Nick, "pinning so much on a guy you can't even be sure of? And who you've hated, and who's hated you, for nearly seven years? Not to mention that it's a long distance relationship for an undetermined amount of time."

"Well, it's not technically a relationship," said Rose.

"Oh?" said Nick. "That isn't helping your case, you know." All of a sudden he was right in front of her. His large hand tilted her chin to look up at him. "I still think you should consider giving us a chance," he said softly. "I know you think you have feelings for him, but he isn't here, I am, and you had feelings for me until not that long ago. You yourself just said that there's nothing official between the two of you."

Rose's heart was beating very fast and hard in her chest.

"Nick…"

The tall boy leaned forward and for a wild second she thought he was going to kiss her, but he merely brushed his lips across her hairline and then stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Just something to think about," he said lightly. He offered her his hand and a smile. "Finish our patrol?"

Not knowing what else to do, and head still reeling from their almost kiss, Rose accepted the proffered hand and the Head Girl and Acting Head Boy continued down the corridor.

*****INEBHG*****

The next morning the Saint Mungo's owl was again among the birds descending upon the Gryffindor table.

Hugo looked up at it, his mouth bull of bacon, and said, "Wha' izzat?"

The letter that the owl carried was inside an envelope which was quite large and bright purple in color.

"I have no idea," said Rose, snatching the purple envelope away from her brother's groping fingers. As she turned it over she noticed a small message inked into the corner of the envelope, almost invisible against the bright coloring.

_Rose, I wouldn't open this around anyone you don't want to share it with if I were you._

Now thoroughly curious, Rose excused herself as quickly as possible and hurried with the letter all the way up to her still-deserted dormitory. Once there, she sat on the bed and opened the purple envelope.

Much to her surprise it flew out of her hands to hover just over her head. As if that wasn't enough, the flap of the envelope then opened like a mouth and began to sing with Scorpius Malfoy's voice, accompanied by an unseen guitar.

_I saw her today at the reception_

_A glass of wine in her hand_

_I knew she was gonna meet her connection_

_At her feet was a footloose man_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometimes you might find_

_You get what you need_

_And I went down to the demonstration_

_To get my fair share of abuse_

_Singing 'We're gonna vent our frustration_

_If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse'_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometimes, well you just might find_

_You get what you need_

_Oh baby_

_I went down to the Chelsea drugstore_

_To get your prescription filled_

_I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy_

_And man did he look pretty ill_

_We decided to have a soda_

'_Whatcha favorite flavor?' 'Cherry red'_

_And I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy_

_And he said one word back to me, that was 'Dead'_

_I said_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_No_

_But if you try sometimes you just might find_

_You get what you need_

_Oh yes_

_Oooooh!_

_You get what you need!_

_Yes!_

_Oh baby!_

_Oh yeah_

_I saw her today at the reception_

_In her glass was a bleeding man_

_She was practiced at the art of deception_

_Well I could tell by her bloodstained hands_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometimes you just might find_

_You just might find_

_You get what you need!_

_Awww yeah_

_You can't always get what you want_

_Baby, you can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometimes you just might find_

_You just might find_

_You get what you need!_

"How did he _do_ that?" said Rose aloud to the empty room, picking up the purple envelope from the bed, where it had fallen once the song was over.

As if in answer a sheet of parchment fluttered out into her hand

_Hey Rose,_

_Awww, you're worried about me, how sweet!_

_Thanks for sending my guitar. I hope you like what I did with it. It took me a little while to work out the logistics, hence the delay in replying, but the basis of the spell was simplicity itself—just a modification of the charm used for Howlers. I have rather a gift for Charms. I chose purple for the envelope because I know it's your favorite color (how I know that is for me to know and you to wonder about). I do hope I got everything right; normally I wouldn't worry, but my magic is still a little bit shaky at this point._

_More to come,_

_Ingeniously yours,_

_Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Head Boy Extraordinaire_

Rose laughed. That boy… It was good to hear his voice again though; the sound of him singing put a silly smile on her face and made her melt just a little bit into her pillows.

There was a sudden influx of sound from the staircase and Rose realized that the rest of her dormitory must be returning from breakfast. Quickly and carefully Rose folded up the letter and the envelope and tucked them between the pages of the book lying on her bedside table just as the door of the dormitory opened.

"Hey, Rose, you sure left breakfast in a hurry," said Jessica. "What did your secret admirer have to say?"

Belinda, Nancy, and Patricia, three of the other Gryffindor seventh year girls, perked up their ears.

Rose glared at her friend.

"It's really not that big of a deal," she said. "And really none of your business," she added as Eleonore opened her mouth.

Rose's two friends shared a look that clearly said this was not the end of the discussion.

"We were planning to spend the day outside since it is finally nice out," said Eleonore. "Go by the lake, take a dip, maybe visit 'Agrid. You should join us."

Rose knew that this was partially an excuse to have more time to interrogate her, but she agreed anyway.

"Sure, only I can't be out all day, I have some work to do."

"Rose, it is Saturday!"

"Eleonore, it's Rose," said Jessica, rolling her eyes, which saved Rose the trouble of coming up with an answer.

*****INEBHG*****

As it turned out, spending the day with her two best friends was a very good thing for Rose. She managed to steer them away from their planned interrogation early on, and soon the furthest thing from all three of their minds was Scorpius Malfoy and the mysterious letters.

In fact, it wasn't until she was lying in her four-poster and the lights had been doused that Rose realized she hadn't replied to the singing letter.

_Tomorrow_, she promised herself as she drifted off. _I'll answer it first thing tomorrow…_

*****INEBHG*****

First thing tomorrow, however, Rose was awoken by Eleonore, Jessica, and Lily literally pulling her out of bed.

"What's going on? !" said Rose in alarm. "Is something wrong?"

The three other girls giggled.

"Nicholas Boot is outside the common room," said Jessica.

"'e 'as _flowers_ for you, Rose," said Eleonore.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, roses."

Lily shook her head." Nope. Crocuses. Two of them. Purple."

Rose raised her eyebrows. Nicholas boot was outside the Gryffindor common room holding her favorite flower?

"Don't keep 'im waiting!" Eleonore urged. "Get dressed!"

Before Rose knew it she was standing in the entrance to Gryffindor tower, looking up at a smiling Nicholas Boot, being presented with two purple crocuses.

"Good morning, Rose," said Nick, and she felt her cheeks color in spite of herself. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh—I—no—" stammered Rose, even though he had. "G-good morning, Nick. Thank you for the flowers."

"You're very welcome," said Nick, still smiling down at her in a way that made her chest feel slightly tight and uncomfortable. "Would you mind if I escorted you down to breakfast?"

"Oh, um, sure," said Rose, wondering why Nick made her feel like such a bumbling idiot. With Scorpius her brain was always striving to outsmart and, if she was honest with herself, impress him, but when Nick turned on his charm it tended to shut down completely.

Rose looked back at Jessica, Eleonore, and Lily, but her three friends just smirked knowingly.

"Go ahead, Rose," said Eleonore. "We will be down in a minute."

_I wish they'd tell me what they think they know_, thought Rose, _because I have no idea._

*****INEBHG*****

Rose finally settled herself down on her bed to write back to Scorpius that evening before dinner. She felt guilty that she had spent most of the day with Nick when Scorpius had told her to stay away from him, but who was Scorpius to tell her who she could and couldn't see? And it wasn't like anything had happened. They had just talked. Mostly.

_Scorpius,_

_Are you implying that I need you or that you need me? Because I assure you that the former is far from the truth. Should you even be singing at this point? What if it aggravates your condition? And if you make another crack about me worrying about you you'll be the one with something to worry about. I do like that song though and, at the risk of stroking your already vastly overinflated ego, you did it quite nicely. That was, I grudgingly admit, a neat bit of charm work as well. But I _know_ that you shouldn't be attempting to perform spells yet, let alone tampering with them. I'm tempted to write your nurses and tell them what you've been up to._

_I can just see that smirk on your face as I scold you for this. I am serious, Scorpius Malfoy, your health is no joking matter, especially if you want to return to school and take your Head Boy position back from Nicholas Boot._

_I have to admit, though, it was nice to hear your voice again. I hadn't realized how much I missed your music; maybe that's the only real thing I miss about you after all._

_Talk to you soon,_

_Rose Hermione Weasley, Hogwarts Head Girl_

**AN: I got this up as soon as I could. My show is now up and running, which means no rehearsals, but also very little time on the weekends, since that's when the show performs & I'm over at the theatre all weekend. Writing fanfic just isn't my pain priority at that point. Also I rear-ended someone on Thursday, fabulous *eye roll* so I had to deal with that & now have no car until it gets fixed. Again, fabulous. I still do read & reply to all reviews. Speaking of which:**

**SakuraOak120: You asked me to please reply, but your review was unsigned & I couldn't find an account under the name you left. My ideas for the most part just come to me. Usually as a snapshot or bit of a scene, which then I have to build forward & backward from. In this case it was Scorpius sick & on patrol w/ Rose & Rose asking about it & him trying to hide it, & also the moment when he collapses. The only fic I have that I actively decided to write is Bound With Silver Threads, which is a HP next gen centered on Lily Luna Potter & an OC. That would be why that one is so damn hard to write.**

**Thank you for reading & reviewing.**

**Thanks to all of you for reading & everyone who has reviewed for reviewing.**

**:)**

**-SQ**


	13. A Friend by Any Other Name

**Author's Note: Update :) My show closed today, so I may have more time to write, but then again, I may not. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: You know what's mine & what's not.**

**Chapter Thirteen: A Friend by Any Other Name**

Rose was on her way from Charms to Arithmancy when she first became aware of the rumor.

"Rose! Rose! Rose Weasley!"

Rose stopped to look behind her. Elizabeth Stimpson, the sixth year Ravenclaw prefect, ran up to her, panting and pushing her scraggly dirty blonde locks out of her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Your boyfriend is looking for you. I think he wants to finalize the agenda for tonight's prefect meeting or something."

"Excuse me?"

"Nicholas Boot is looking for you to—"

"No, I heard that. What did you call him?"

"What?" said Elizabeth. "Oh, your boyfriend? Isn't he?"

"No," said Rose. "No, he's not—no."

"Oh," said Elizaeth. "Well, that's what everyone's saying anyway." She shrugged. "See you later."

She ran off down the corridor the way she had come. Rose stayed frozen in place.

Boyfriend? Everyone was saying that Nick was her boyfriend? That was ridiculous! She had turned him down! Well, sort of… But still…

Rose was jerked out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder.

"Rose, good, I found you."

Rose jumped and whirled around right into Nicholas Boot's broad chest.

"Did I startle you?" said Nick, placing his hands on her shoulder and holding her at arms' distance in front of him. "Sorry."

"It's alright," said Rose, feeling flustered. "I—um—heard you were looking for me. Elizabeth Stimpson said something about the agenda for tonight's meeting."

"Yes," said Nick, "I asked her if she knew where you were. But actually the agenda was just an excuse for me to talk to you. What I really wanted to talk to you about was this weekend."

"This weekend? What about this weekend?" asked Rose, and then mentally kicked herself. How dimwitted could she make herself seem? Scorpius would have teased her to no end if he could have heard her now.

Nick, however, seemed unperturbed.

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend," he said. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me, if you don't have any other plans. As friends of course."

Rose swallowed, her heart speeding up in her chest. She couldn't help it, she had never been asked to Hogsmeade by a boy before. She had never been asked _anywhere _by a boy before.

"Alright," she said, her voice climbing an octave higher than normal. "I'd be happy to go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend, Nick. As friends."

The Ravenclaw smiled his hundred watt smile.

"I can't wait. See you later, Rose." And he walked off down the corridor.

Rose, suddenly remembering that she had Arithmancy in less than a minute, jumped and took off in the direction of her class at a run.

*****INEBHG*****

That day was Thursday and the Hogsmeade trip was on Saturday. This meant that Rose had a whole day and a half in which to second guess her decision to go to Hogsmeade with Nick. Her friends, of course, were thrilled, even though she insisted that they were only going as friends. Rose herself alternated between defiantly telling herself that it wasn't a big deal and she could do whatever she wanted with _whomever_ she wanted, and calling herself every kind of fool for accepting the invitation from a boy who made her feel like a stuttering idiot every time she tried to talk to him. How did she go from being one hundred percent single to have two boys she didn't know where she stood with? What she tried very hard _not _to think about was Scorpius Malfoy.

In either case she couldn't back out of it now, and so she resolved to put it out of her mind and focus on her lessons. And, as NEWT exams were rapidly approaching, that was the perfect distraction.

*****INEBHG*****

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit Rose stood in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror. Her red-brown curls were brushed back and held in place with a headband, her eyelids sported a layer of bronze eyeshadow and rims of eyeliner and mascara, her cheeks bore circles of blush, and her lips glistened with red lip gloss. She didn't look like herself at all.

Rose glanced at the watch on her wrist; if she didn't leave now she was going to be late. She picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and started for the stairs, and the Entrance Hall where she would meet Nick. She had only ever gone to Hogsmeade before wilth Jessica, Eleonore, Lily, Hugo, and Albus. Even though they had agreed to go just as friends, she wondered if she was about to go on her first date.

Nick was already waiting in the Entrance Hall when Rose arrived. His eyes brushed over her appreciatively but politely as he greeted her and took her arm.

"You look lively," he told her, flashing that disarming smile of his.

"Er…you look nice too," she said.

The journey to Hogsmeade Village passed in silence with Rose unsure of what to do to break it. When they had arrived, and Nick had helped her down from the carriage, he asked, "Where would you like to go first, Rose?"

Rose shrugged.

"I—I don't know. Er…Honeydukes is nice."

So they went to Honeydukes, and then to the new parchment shop, the bookstore, the Three Broomsticks for lunch, and then, as it was a nice day, window shopping down the main street.

"I enjoyed today," said Nick as he walked Rose up to the castle that evening. "I hope you did too."

"Yes," said Rose. "It was…nice."

They arrived at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and Nick turned to smile at Rose.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to say goodnight to you?"

"Erm…sure…yes, okay."

Nick let go of Rose's hands and brought his own up to frame her face. Then he slid one back into her hair and used it to pull her face up to his. His lips brushed hers, gentle, caressing, as sweet and smooth as honeysuckle blossoms. After a moment or two he drew away, tucking a couple loose locks of hair behind her ears as he did so.

"Good night, Rose. Pleasant dreams."

**AN: Things are getting confusing for Rosie. Sorry there was no Scorpius in this chapter. There'll be more letters in the next chapter.**

**Loves, & also hopes for reviews ;)**

**-SQ**


	14. Saying No

**Author's Note: So, listening to the AVPS cast recording while typing this up might have slowed down the process a bit, but it was totally worth it ;)**

**There is a song in this chapter, but it's a short one, and it also means that we hear from Scorpius again, and that's a good thing, right?**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: Please tell me you don't actually need one.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Saying No**

Rose stared down at the unopened letter in her hand with an overwhelming sense of guilt. It didn't matter how many times she told herself that she and Scorpius weren't officially dating, and so what she had been doing with Nick wasn't technically cheating, it still felt a hell of a lot like that to her.

She hadn't _meant_ to let him kiss her last night, but, in retrospect, what else would he have meant when he asked to say goodnight to her? And the fact that she didn't kiss him back had had a lot more to do with shock than with rejection.

_Just once I'd like to be involved in a kiss that was two-sided_ Rose thought.

Rose looked back down at the letter in her hand. The envelope was purple and she had a pretty good idea what would happen when she opened it. Checking once last time to make sure the dormitory was clear, she slid her finger under the seal and then released the letter into the air above her head, where it hovered for a moment before beginning to sing with Scorpius's voice to the accompaniment of an invisible guitar.

_I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping_

_While my guitar gently weeps_

_I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping_

_Still my guitar gently weeps_

_I don't know why nobody told you_

_How to unfold your love_

_I don't know how someone controlled you_

_They bought and sold you_

_I look at the world and I notice it's turning_

_While my guitar gently weeps_

_Every mistake we must surely be learning_

_Still my guitar gently weeps_

_I don't know how you were diverted_

_You were perverted too_

_I don't know how you were inverted_

_No one alerted you_

_I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping_

_While my guitar gently weeps_

_I look at you all_

_Still my guitar gently weeps_

If Rose had felt guilty before opening the letter it was nothing to how she felt now. Scorpius was ill, she was exchanging what were practically love letters, albeit unconventional ones, with him, she certainly had feelings for him, and yet she was going off and spending time alone with Nick. And now this song; it was as though Scorpius knew what had been happening between her and Nick in his absence and was bemoaning it to her in song.

Rose picked up the piece of parchment that had fluttered out of the envelope when it had begun to sing. The note was short this time, only a few lines long.

_Rose,_

_That song has been stuck in my head ever since my guitar arrived and I just _had_ to send it to you; maybe now it will finally leave me alone. And bother you instead._

_And if I didn't tamper with spells and play my guitar I would die of boredom over here and then where would we be? _

_I know what I miss most about _you_: That scrunched-up look you get on you face when you want to laugh but are desperately trying to stay mad at me._

_Smugly yours,_

_Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Head Boy Extraordinaire_

Rose reread the note half a dozen times, wishing it was longer, wishing she know how to replay the song Howler. Whatever she did or didn't feel for Nicholas Boot (and she was still rather fuzzy on that point) it didn't even compare to this. She _knew_ that, so why did she keep saying yes to him?

_I only want to be friends_ her mind argued. _Yes, _she thought back, _but you know very well that that isn't all _he_ wants._

She folded Scorpius's letter and placed it carefully into her trunk with the others, resolving that the next time Nick came onto her she would say no.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose didn't see Nicholas at all on Sunday, a fact she was most grateful for. She spent most of the day inside the Gryffindor common room, completing her homework, playing chess, Gobstones, and exploding snap with her friends, and writing her reply to Scorpius.

_Scorpius,_

_Then, my dearest Scorpius, you would be dead, your parents would be out of a good amount of money for nothing, and I would still be at Hogwarts, working myself into the ground to keep up with my Head Girl duties and score well on my NEWTs._

_Thanks ever so for passing the song on to my head._

_And I do _not_ get a "scrunched-up" look on my face when I am mad at you, Scorpius Malfoy, I get a _mad_ look on my face because _you_ are being an _ass_. So there._

_Talk to you soon,_

_Rose Hermione Weasley, Hogwarts Head Girl_

*****INEBHG*****

Nick came up to Rose as she was leaving the Great Hall after breakfast on Monday.

"Good morning, Rose," he said, smiling his dazzling smile. "I didn't see you yesterday."

"No," said Rose. "I had—er—things to do."

"Did you get them done?" asked Nick pleasantly.

_Doesn't he even notice that I'm stuttering like a gibbering moron?_ thought Rose.

"Yes."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Nick. He offered her his arm. "Walk with me to class?"

_No_, said Rose's brain. _You_ kissed_ me and people already think we're dating and you aren't Scorpius!_

"Er—sure."

Rose walked to Transfiguration with Nick, aware of all the eyes that turned toward them along the way. Someone even wolf-whistled. Rose thought she might die of embarrassment.

*****INEBHG*****

Transfiguration was the only class Rose had with Nick on Mondays, so it wasn't until after dinner at the prefect meeting that she saw him next.

Knowing she was being cowardly and trying not to ignore Scorpius's voice in her head making a snide comment about a Lion slinking around with its tail between its legs, Rose waited until it was time to begin the meeting and then walked in with Lily.

"Alright," she said. "Now, the year is three quarters of the way over and I know it's easy to get bored and complacent at this point, but this is actually an important time to step up our game in terms of…"

As she talked, Nick nodded along, and when she was finished he made many points that were very similar to hers. She knew Scorpius wouldn't have been so quick to agree with her view of things; he would have presented a counter-argument and they would have debated it until they had managed to convey a message that was better and more well-rounded then either of the two original ones. Lily had been right, Rose realized, she and Scorpius _did_ complement each other.

"Rose. Rose. Rose."

Rose blinked. The meeting room was empty of all but her and Nick; the meeting had ended and been dismissed without her even noticing.

"What—? Oh, yes…"

Rose picked up her bad and started toward the door.

"Wait." Nick was once more offering her his arm. "May I walk you back to your tower?"

"Er—" said Rose. "It's in the opposite direction of yours."

"It's no trouble," said Nick. "It's my pleasure."

So Rose once more found herself walking back to Gryffindor Tower accompanied by Nicholas Boot.

"Er—here we are," said Rose awkwardly when they had arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yes," said Nick. He smiled down at her. "Here we are."

He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek gently, drawing her face up toward his.

"No!" said Rose, ducking away from him at the last moment.

"Rose?" said Nick in concern. "Did I do something wrong.

"Yes—no—_I_ did," said Rose. "Nick—Saturday was a mistake."

Nick looked down at her, his brown eyes soft.

It didn't feel like a mistake to me."

"Well it was," said Rose, avoiding his gaze.

"I know you like me, Rose," said Nick. "You can't tell me you don't."

"Nick, I can't."

"Malfoy," said Nick.

Rose nodded.

"He's not here, Rose."

"He will be."

"You don't know that."

Rose looked up, her eyes flashing.

"He _will_ be."

"I like you, Rose."

"Goodnight, Nick."

"I know you like me too, Rose."

"Goodnight, Nick."

"I'm better for you than he is."

"_Goodnight_, Nick. Mandrake Root."

The Fat Lady swung forward and Rose stepped through the opening and made immediately for her bed, feeling even more miserable than she had to begin with.

**AN: Um…*insert witty way to ask for reviews here* 3**

**-SQ**


	15. Makes the Heart Worry Like A Bitch

**Author's Note: I actually drafted this whole chapter while babysitting yesterday, lol. Not sure if that' a good or a bad thing but…**

**Merlin, have I been waiting to write this chapter! Or, more specifically, the last scene it in. I hope you like it :)**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: You wouldn't be reading Harry Potter fanfiction if you hadn't read the books, and if you've read the books you know that Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Absence Makes the Heart Worry Like A Bitch**

The next morning when the post arrived, Rose looked up expectantly for the handsome owl from Saint Mungo's. Many owls of all colors and sizes flew overhead, landing and dropping letters in front of her classmates, but none of them was a glossy, smart-looking owl with a wax-sealed official-looking envelope tied to its leg.

"What are you looking for, Rose?" asked Hugo, also turning his gaze to the storm of owls now leaving the Great Hall.

"Nothing," said Rose quickly, looking back down at her plate.

"No letter from your secret admirer?" said Jessica knowingly.

"H-they're not my secret admirer," said Rose.

"Uh-huh," said Albus.

Rose told herself she wasn't worried about not getting a letter from Scorpius that day; sure, he should have had time to receive her latest letter and respond to it, but there was no rule that said he _had_ to write her every other day. He was probably busy, or just hadn't felt like writing that day, or even, and this was probably the most likely reason of all, had intentionally delayed replying to her letter just to spite her.

_Hmph,_ she thought, _I'll show him. When he _does_ reply I'll take _twice_ as long to answer his letter as he does mine._

*****INEBHG*****

The next morning Rose again scanned the peck of post owls but, once again, the glossy owl from Saint Mungo's did not appear.

"Is something the matter, Rose?" asked Eleonore as she stared moodily down at her homework later that evening. "Do you not understand ze assignment?"

"Of course I understand the assignment," Rose snapped. "I'm frustrated that it's so easy; a fifth year could do it. They should be giving us more challenging work at NEWT level."

*****INEBHG*****

The next evening Rose arrived late for her and Nick's Head meeting.

"Good evening, Rose," said Nick with a smile.

"I know I'm late, okay," said Rose.

"I wasn't going to say anything about it," said Nick mildly.

"Well you should," snapped Rose. "A Head student should always be on time."

"I'm sure you have a good reason," said Nick. "And you've never been late before."

Rose said nothing, merely pulled out her papers from her bag and slammed then down on the table.

"Has someone done something to upset you, Rose?" asked Nick after a minute of silence.

"No," snapped Rose.

"If there is anything I can do to help—"

"There's not."

They lapsed back into silence. Rose wished Nick would yell at her or rag on her or force her to tell him what was on her mind; give some sort of acknowledgement of the lousy way she was acting, but all he did was smile at her and try to scoot his chair closer to hers, to which she responded by moving hers away again. When their meeting was over Nick left without offering to walk her back to Gryffindor Tower.

*****INEBHG*****

That was Wednesday; by Friday, when still no letter had arrived from Scorpius, Rose was starting to become seriously worried. What if something had happened to him? What if writing letters and singing songs and doing magic had been too much for his heart and he had taken a turn for the worse, or suffered another attack? Should she write him again to make sure everything was okay? Would that make her seem pathetic and clingy? Should she write Saint Mungo's and ask about him? But no one even knew they had been writing each other. Well, at least no one on her end. For all she knew Scorpius had told the whole hospital. Maybe it was a big joke there; the pathetic Weasley girl imagining that Scorpius Malfoy actually had feelings for her—what a laugh.

But what if something _was_ wrong with him; after all, he _was_ in the hospital for a serious heart condition. And Nicholas had insinuated that he might not be coming back to Hogwarts—oh Merlin, did Nick know something she didn't? But how would he have known? He could have asked the Headmaster; Professor Longbottom probably knew what was going on. But then why hadn't he told her? Well, why would he? Why would she care? She and Scropius were supposed to hate each other; she was supposed to be glad that Scorpius was gone and that Nicholas Boot had taken his place. Rose stifled a sob. No, Nicholas Boot wouldn't even talk to her now, and he had been the only person besides herself and Scorpius who had known about their correspondence. When did boys suddenly get so complicated? Rose pushed aside her Astronomy essay, which she had barely written two lines of anyway, and a pulled blank sheet of parchment toward her.

_Dear Scorpius_

_Hello? Anybody there? I haven't heard from you in a while. You did get my last letter, didn't you? Has the hospital suddenly become so very fascinating that you don't have time to write me? Because last time I checked you were dying of boredom over there. Or have you actually managed that? I've never heard of someone actually being bored to death before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything. If you _are_ still alive with at least the majority of your faculties intact, please write me._

_Your friend and partner,_

_Rose Hermione Weasley, Hogwarts Head Girl._

*****INEBHG*****

Rose had patrols with Nick on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. These patrols were as silent as Rose's first few had been with Scorpius. Rose could tell that Nick was waiting for her to initiate a conversation, but she didn't know what to say. She desperately wanted to discuss the fact that Scorpius had yet to return both of her recent letters, but even she knew that bringing up the guy she liked with the guy whom she had turned down would be pretty tactless, not to mention that she didn't want to give Nick a chance to say 'I told you so'.

Rose's friends and family knew something was wrong with her, but they couldn't figure out what, and she, of course, refused to tell them. They made the connection between the discontinuation of the mysterious letters and the sudden slump in Rose's mood but, as she flatly refused to discuss it, there was very little any of them could do about it.

*****INEBHG*****

By Monday evening Rose had made up her mind to swallow her pride and ask Professor Longbottom the latest news on Scorpius directly following dinner. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table, pouring pumpkin juice into her goblet, when there was some sort of disturbance near the entrance to the Great Hall.

"What's going on?" asked Rose, standing on her tiptoes to try and see over the heads of the students in front of her.

"I dunno," said Albus, who was craning his neck beside her. "I can't see."

"Neither can I," said Lily jumping up and down in an attempt to see what the commotion was about. "Hugo, have a look and tell us what's going on, will you?"

The tall, gangly boy stood on his chair and gazed out overt he buzzing crowd.

"Merlin!"

"What is it, Hugo?" asked Rose.

"Well, Merlin's pants," said Hugo.

"What's going _on_?"

But Hugo didn't have to answer; the crowd in the Hall parted to the sides like the Red Sea and suddenly Rose could see quite clearly for herself what all the fuss was about.

Strolling down the center of the Great Hall between the House tables, cool as you please, hands in his pockets and a swagger in his step, was Scorpius Malfoy.

Rose was pretty sure she felt herself turn every color of the rainbow.

Scorpius Malfoy. Here. _Now._ Not dead or dying in a hospital bed at Saint Mungo's, but strolling down the center of the Great hall toward the Slytherin table as if he owned the place, looking healthy and fit as if he had just stepped out of a _Witch Weekly _magazine spread.

At that point Rose didn't care that every eye in the Great Hall was trained on him, she didn't care that he looked so arrogant she could punch him, she didn't care that she was _furious_ with him for not answering her letters and making her worry. She could kill the git _after_ she made sure for herself that he was really there, that he was okay.

"Scorpius!"

He looked up at the sound of his name, a startled expression flickering over his face as her arms encircled him, nearly knocking him over.

"Rose, what in Merlin's name are you doing?"

Rose drew back.

"Scorpius, I don't hear from you in two weeks, for all I know you could be dead, and now all you can say is—"

"Rose," Scorpius cut in, taking her hands from his arms and placing them firmly at her sides. "Go back to your table."

"Excuse me?"

"We'll talk later, okay? Go back to your table. Don't make a scene."

"Don't make a—?"

"Go, Rose," he said, emphasizing his words with a small push between her shoulder blades. "You're embarrassing yourself."

Rose's jaw clenched and her eyes blurred with tears. Mechanically, she returned to her seat at the Gryffindor table and sat down.

"Rose, what in all _hells_ was that about?" said Albus.

Rose didn't look at her cousin but instead stared down at her plate, willing herself not to cry.

"Rose," are you alright?" asked Eleonore.

"Rose," said Hugo, "what did you just do to Malfoy? Because it _looked _like you ran up and _hugged_ him, but I know that can't be right…"

"Did something happen that we don't know about?" said Jessica.

"Rose," said Lily quietly. "Was it Malfoy who was writing you those letters?"

A hot tear splashed onto down Rose's nose and onto her mashed potatoes. Then another. And another.

"Rose…?"

"I-I have to go get ready for the prefects meeting," she choked, and fled the Hall.

**AN: Well…he's back… Review?**


	16. Back in Sight, Out of Mind

**Author's Note: Ugh, this **_**chapter**_**! It drove me crazy trying to write it. I know exactly what's going to happen at the end of the next 1, but getting between the end of the last 1 & there is proving to be a real bitch. Here is this chapter anyway, for better or for worse.**

**-SQ**

**This Disclaimer is about the only thing that is mine. Well, that and the plot & the OCs, but you get the idea.**

**Chapter Sixteen: Back in Sight, Out of Mind**

Scorpius was not at the prefects' meeting that evening, about which Rose was extremely grateful, severely disappointed, and terribly furious. He was still moving his things back into his dormitory, which meant that Nick would be spending one last evening as Acting Head Boy. In fact, as Rose found out at the meeting, Scorpius would not resume his full duties until the following Monday. Rose went through the meeting robotically, much as she had that first time after Scorpius's collapse, and afterwards retreated to her bed without speaking to anyone. What…what had happened? She and Scorpius had gone from hating each other to exchanging what she had _thought_ were more or less love letters, albeit strange ones, to…this. Didn't he mean any of the things he had said to her? Had he been lying? Had he changed his mind? Or had she just been reading too much into it. As she had told Nick, and he had then thrown back at her, there had never been anything officially going on between the two of them. Neither of them had come out and _said_ that they had those kinds of feelings for each other…though Rose had made it pretty bloody obvious; the more fool her, she though bitterly. But Scorpius had certainly made it seem as though he did too, even if his ways were a tad less…conventional than Nick's. And, thinking of Nick, she could have kicked herself. She had driven away the only boy who had shown an active interest in her in pursuit of one who had obviously changed his mind about wanting her, if he had ever truly wanted her in the first place. Rose had always prided herself on the fact that she didn't need a boy, but now that she had experienced what it was like to have one she rather wanted that feeling back. So now she faced a dilemma; try and talk to Scorpius, or go crawling back to Nick. One hurt her heart, the other her pride. She fell asleep trying to decide which one was worth more to her.

*****INEBHG*****

She woke in a towering rage. The fact that she didn't know quite who she was mad at, Scorpius, Nick, herself, or the world in general, concerned her not one wit.

"Rose," started Jessica when she saw her get out of bed, "what was that about last night? With Malfoy. You went to bed before we could ask—"

"I don't want to talk about it!" snarled Rose, and slammed out of the dormitory, leaving a slightly stunned Jessica standing by her bed with a pair of socks in her hand.

Rose and her rage blazed down the girls' staircase and into the common room, intent on passing through the portrait hole into the hallway. Her progress was halted, however, by the expedient means of Lily and Albus Potter stepping into her path.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," said Albus.

"Al—" said Lily.

He ignored her. "What's going on between you and Malfoy?"

"Nothing," spat Rose. "Get out of my way."

"Where are you going?" asked Lily.

"To give that arrogant bastard a piece of my mind!"

She shoved her cousins out of her way and stormed through the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady's indignant splutters.

Rose marched down the staircases toward the Great Hall; she would find Scorpius, she would find him and…and… Rose stopped. Scorpius was standing in front of her, leaning against the wall of the entrance hall, talking to some fellow Slytherins. He hadn't noticed her.

He looked absolutely breathtaking, and Rose had absolutely no idea what to say to him. She _wanted_ to be mad at him, she _wanted_ to yell at him until her voice was hoarse, but she also wanted to snog him until they were both gasping for air.

Well, yelling was certainly the more practical option out of _those _two. Butyell what exactly? Air everything that was, had been, and might or might not be between them for everyone in the hall to hear? Accuse him of being…What? Vague? He wasn't the one who had been snogging someone else behind her back. Well, not that she knew of anyway, though that might explain his recent attitude…

Now what she felt most was confused. She didn't need to yell at Scorpius, she needed to talk to him. He _had_ said he'd talk to her later, hadn't he? She was about to march up to him and demand to do just that when Scorpius stepped into the Great Hall with the rest of the Slytherins and she lost her chance.

*****INEBHG*****

Lily and Albus cornered Rose once again that afternoon after classes. She had been unable to talk to Scorpius all day, even though they shared all of their classes, and she had come to the depressing and infuriating conclusion that he had no intention of talking to her at all, and that he was, in fact, deliberately avoiding doing so.

"Rose, what in Merlin's name is going on with you?" asked Albus.

"Malfoy was the one sending you those letters, wasn't he?" said Lily.

Rose sighed. No point in hiding it now. "Yes, okay? He was. But it doesn't matter now."

"Wait…" said Albus slowly. "Was something going _on_ between you and _Malfoy_?"

"Yes…no…I don't know!" said Rose, throwing up her hands. "There isn't anymore, that's for certain, he won't even talk to me."

"Rose," said Lily, "I think you'd better explain just what this is all about. Last thing I heard you hated Malfoy with, I quote, an 'unequivocal passion'."

Rose sighed and sank down into an armchair and recounted to her cousins the events of the past months.

Albus's scowl grew more and more pronounced the longer she talked. Finally, when she had finished, he said, "He was leading you on."

"Either that or he met some beautiful young Healer-In-Training or something at Saint Mungo's," said Rose. "In any case he stopped writing two weeks ago."

"I'm going to kill that bastard for treating you like that," said Albus. "I'm going to tell Hugo and we'll _both_ wring his cocky little neck!"

"No!" said Rose. "Let me handle this, okay?"

"The wanker bamboozled you into liking him and then dumped you for some cheap floozy!"

"Al, we weren't actually—we were only writing letters, we never actually said we were together."

"Only writing letters my ass," said Albus. "He was…seducing you! And he very well knew it!"

"I'll deal with it, okay?" snapped Rose. "Whatever did and did not go on between me and Scorpius, that's our business. So just stay out of it, and keep Hugo out of it too." She stalked off to her dormitory, her mind now plagued with images of Scorpius heatedly snogging some pretty, long-legged Healer-In-Training on a Saint Mungo's hospital bed.

*****INEBHG*****

For something she had spent an entire day dreading, Rose's patrol with Nick didn't go too badly, all considered. Sure, he kept casting sideways glances at her, and whenever there was a moment of silence opened his mouth to say something she was sure she did not want to hear, but as long as she kept up an endless stream of meaningless conversation she could avoid the topic of Scorpius and his return to the school entirely. It also helped that they found no less than four separate students or groups of students out of bed, and so spent most of the time dealing with the miscreants. Usually Rose took students breaking curfew on her patrols as a personal affront, but today she was simply glad for the distraction.

The end of the patrol was the most awkward moment. Rose expected Nick to ask if he could walk her to Gryffindor Tower, and was wildly trying to come up with an excuse as to why he shouldn't, or a reason why he should, when the Ravenclaw said, "Good night, Rose," and simply left her standing in the middle of the corridor, feeling more abandoned than ever.

_And whose fault is that?_ She asked herself bitterly. _If you wanted him around you should have stopped pushing him away!_

*****INEBHG*****

Lily Potter was a girl on a mission. It was after dinner on Wednesday evening and the petite redhead was waiting at the entrance to the dungeons in order to intercept a certain dashing blonde. As luck would have it, the group of Slytherins with which the Head Boy left the Great Hall did not include any of the other prefects, and so Lily did not have to formulate a new excuse on the fly.

"Excuse me," she said, stepping out in front of them. "Malfoy, can I speak with you for a moment? Prefect business," she added, casting a meaningful glance at the surrounding members of his house.

Scorpius motioned for his fellow Slytherins to go on without him and then turned to the youngest Potter. "How can I help you, Lily?"

Lily dropped the sweet and innocent façade like a cloak and jabbed a finger hard into a startled Scorpius's chest.

"Ouch!" he protested. "Watch it! I'm still sore there."

"You'll be sore in a lot of other places if you don't explain to me what the _hell_ you think you're doing with my cousin."

*****INEBHG*****

"Where have you been?" grumbled Hugo when Lily came through the portrait hole. "It's almost curfew. You promised to help me with by bowtruckle drawing for Care of Magical Creatures."

"I had something to do," said Lily.

"_What_ did you have to do that was so important that it took from just after dinner until now?"

"Never you mind," said Lily.

"Lils! Come on. Since when do you not tell me things? We tell each other everything. You're starting to sound like Rose."

Lily's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Hughie, I really am, but I can't tell you yet. I promise you'll know soon."

Hugo sighed. "Can you at least help me with my bowtruckle drawing? You know I'm rubbish at this kind of artsy stuff."

Lily laughed. "That, I can do."

**AN: Aaaaand…nothing happened. Okay, actually, something did happen, but we don't know **_**what**_** happened yet, so it hardly counts (well, I know what happened, but I'm the author, so I'd better, or we'd all be up a creek without a paddle). I swear there's a, well if not a method, than at least a reason to my madness here. & I hope the next chapter proves to be much more satisfactory that this one.**

**What would satisfy **_**me**_** until then would be some lovely reviews from **_**you**_** :)**

**-SQ**


	17. Every Little Thing She Does

**Author's Note: Songs! I know, that makes some of you happy & some of you not so happy, but I'm super excited to get to the scene in which these songs appear :)**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: 'I don't wanna, I don't wanna be sued, I ain't trying, tryin' to be rude, 'cause it ain't funny, I don't got the money to lose.' ;) **

**Chapter Seventeen: Every Little Thing She Does**

It was Thursday, and Rose was determined to confront Scorpius today.

"Rose, where are you going?" asked Lily, appearing in front of her on her way to the portrait hole.

"To talk to Scorpius," replied Rose, trying to step past her cousin.

"Wait! I want to borrow a book. I need it for a project I'm doing in Herbology."

"Can't it wait?" asked Rose.

"No, I need it today," said Lily.

"Can't you get it from the library?"

"I couldn't find it; I think all the copies must be checked out or something. It'll only take a minute, I promise."

Rose sighed and turned back toward the girls' staircase.

"Which book did you want to borrow?" she asked, opening her trunk.

"Erm…" said Lily, "I don't exactly remember what it's called… But I know it had a brown cover."

"Okay," said Rose. She pulled out all of her books that had brown covers. "Here."

Lily examined each book carefully. "No, it's none of these."

"These are all the books own with brown covers," said Rose.

"Brown?" said Lily. "Did I say brown? I meant green. It definitely has a green cover."

Rose groaned. "Lily, you couldn't have asked me about this earlier?"

"I forgot," said Lily. "I know you have it though. I've seen you with it."

Rose pulled out all of her books with green covers and Lily looked them over, lips pursed. "Hmm…maybe the cover was orange…"

By the time Lily had found the book she wanted (the cover of which was beige) Rose had barely enough time to rush down to the Great Hall, grab a muffin, and eat it on her way to her first class.

*****INEBHG*****

At lunchtime Rose ate quickly so that she would have time to catch Scorpius before afternoon classes. The Slytherin, however, seemed to be eating intentionally slowly, and by the time he left the Great Hall all either of them had time to do was run as fast as they could to Transfiguration.

Rose's intentions to corner the illusive blonde going into dinner were again thwarted by Lily crashing into her as she came down the second floor corridor, spilling both their books all over the floor.

"Oh Merlin, Rose, I'm sorry!" said Lily, gathering too many fallen items into her arms and dropping them all over again. "I didn't see you there."

"It's alright," said Rose through gritted teeth. "But _please_, Lily, _look where you're going_."

*****INEBHG*****

That evening, Rose sat at a table in the library, determined not to be interrupted again. The Marauders Map was placed surreptitiously in her lap and she watched it closely for Scorpius Malfoy to leave the Slytherin dungeons. Much to her frustration, however, he never did, and eventually she was forced to return to the Gryffindor common room in defeat.

*****INEBHG*****

"This is getting ridiculous," said Rose the next morning, after over sleeping when her alarm didn't go off. "Now that I finally want to confront him about this it seems as though the world is conspiring against me!"

"I'm sure it's just your imagination," said Lily. "Do you think you could help me with my Charms homework during lunch today?"

*****INEBHG*****

One advantage of having had…whatever kind of relationship she had had with Scorpius was that she knew his haunts, so it wasn't all that difficult to locate him during their free period. He was sitting in an unused classroom, guitar across his knees, pale hair hanging forward and partially obscuring his face. Rose, as she gently pushed open the door, was hit with an overwhelming sense of dèja vu.

"Malfoy," said Rose firmly, stepping into the room. "We need to—"

"Rose!" Lily came skidding to a halt behind her. "Rose, come quickly! The Gryffindor sixth year prefects are arguing and it's about to turn into a duel!"

Rose ground her teeth in frustration, cast one last look at Scorpius, and then followed her cousin through the maze of corridors. When they finally arrived at the scene of the disturbance, panting and breathless, they were met with the two prefects in question, smiling placidly as they discussed Quidditch scores.

Rose glared at her cousin, advancing on the shorter girl.

"Oh," said Lily. "I guess they resolved it on their own…"

*****INEBHG*****

Rose stared disinterestedly at her plate of chicken and green beans. She felt hurt, she felt angry, she felt frustrated and sad, but mostly she felt defeated and resigned. It was looking like she would never get a chance to talk to Scorpius, at least not within a timeframe where it would make any sense. And what difference would it make anyway? If he didn't want her he didn't want her. It wasn't like she had played the saintly 'girl-waiting-for-her-prince-to-return-to-her' while he was away. The person she should be talking to was Nick, maybe she could salvage that relationship at least. Rose grimaced; what she wouldn't give to be able to land a few good punches on that haughty Slytherin. Or kisses. But she supposed she would just had to accept the fact that what had happened between the two of them during that brief period of time was in the past, and always would be. Rose lifted a forkful of beans to her mouth, and then lowered it again as Professor Longbottom rose from his chair and signaled for everyone's attention.

"Good evening," he said, smiling at them from out of his round face. "As I am sure you are all aware, one of our students has recently returned to us. I would like to take this moment to officially welcome Scorpius Malfoy back to Hogwarts, and to his position as Head Boy."

The Hall erupted into applause and Scorpius rose gracefully from his seat at the Slytherin table and walked up to the dais which hosted the staff table.

_Patrols!_ Thought Rose suddenly, _We'll be alone on our patrols, and our Head meetings too!_ She didn't know whether she was pleased or horrified by the thought.

"Good evening," said Scorpius, looking smilingly around at his fellow students. "It is good to be back." He paused. "I asked the Headmaster to allow me to say a few words to you this evening as a way of welcoming me back to the school, but I have to admit that I misled him as to my real intentions." The smile had by this time faded from his face, and if Rose hadn't known better she would have said he looked nervous.

"There is someone I haven't been acting very well towards recently," continued Scorpius, sounding a lot less self-assured than usual. "And my recent poor health is no excuse for it." Scorpius ran a hand through his silky hair. "I've spent the last four days trying to come up with what I'm going to say to this person, and in that time have only managed to make things worse. I'd almost given up on trying to make things right when I was cornered by someone who told me in no uncertain terms that I _was_ going to do something about it because it was absolutely ridiculous for both of us to be sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves." Scorpius smiled ruefully. "So here I am, standing in front of all of you, about to do something I've barely been able to do in front of two dozen people." In the lights of the Great Hall sweat glistened on Scorpius's forehead, and there was no question anymore as to whether he was nervous or not. "Er, Lily, can I have my guitar please?"

Lily Potter, whom Rose had not noticed leave her seat at the Gryffindor table, so focused had she been on Scorpius, appeared on the dais with the Slytherin's guitar in hand.

Rose's jaw dropped. Was Scorpius really going to perform in front of the entire school? But performing in front of an audience terrified him!

"I'm not going to air any more or our personal business to the entire school," said Scorpius once the guitar was settled across his chest, "or she really might kill me. Hopefully this will be taken as at least the beginning of an explanation. And an apology."

"_Though I've tried before to tell her_

_Of the feelings I have for her in my heart_

_Every time that I come near her_

_I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start_

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on_

_Do I have to tell the story_

_Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?_

_It's a big enough umbrella but it's always me that ends up getting wet_

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on_

_I resolved to call her up a thousand times a day_

_And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way_

_But my silent fears have gripped me_

_Long before I reach the phone_

_Long before my tongue has tripped me_

_Must I always be alone?_

Belatedly, and after a sharp jab in the ribs from Jessica, Rose realized who the song, and the words that had proceeded it, must be directed to.

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on_

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on_

_On and on and on!_

_Every little thing_

_Every little, every little thing_

_Every little thing_

_Every little, every little thing_

_Every little thing she does_

_Every little thing she does_

_Every little thing she does_

_Thing she does is magic_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Eee-yo_

_Every little_

_Every little_

_Every little thing she does is magic, magic, magic!_

_Magic, magic, magic!_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o_

_Ee-yo-o-o-o-ooooo…."_

Scorpius's voice, his beautiful, melt-worthy voice, trailed off. He let the applause swell and die down before saying, "Rose Weasley, will you come up to the stage please?"

Rose just stared up at the front of the hall, Scorpius's words not even registering in her brain. Hands pushed into the small of her back.

"Go!" said Lily's voice in her ear.

"_Me?"_ Rose squeaked in horror.

"Yes, you! Go!"

Rose shook her head desperately, but Lily was propelling her up to the dais and then she was standing next to Scorpius in front of the whole school.

"Rose?" Scorpius's voice sounded distant in her ears. "Rose, are you okay?"

"Er…yes…" said Rose, coming slightly back to herself. She took a step toward him, mindful of their audience. "What are you _doing_?" she hissed.

"I was hoping you'd let me sing you one more song." He hesitated.

"Well," said Rose after a few beats of silence, "I'm waiting."

Scorpius's face split into a nervous grin and he adjusted his grip on his guitar.

"Still waiting…"

"Er…yes…

_You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs,"_

He sang, smiling slightly at Rose.

_But I look around me and I see it isn't so_

_Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs_

_And what's wrong with that, I'd like to know?_

'_Cause here I go again!_

Scorpius did a fancy spin on the spot and, smiling wider now, leaned in and winked at Rose as he sang,

"_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I can't explain, the feeling's plain to me,_

_Say can't you see?"_

Sang Scorpius, circling Rose to face the audience

"_Ah, she gave me more, she gave it all to me_

_Now can't you see?_

_What's wrong with that? I need to know_

'_Cause here I go again!"_

Scorpius now circled back so that he was singing directly to Rose once more

"_I love you_

_I love you."_

He turned back to face the audience.

"_Love doesn't come in a minute!"_

Said Scorpius, strumming his guitar with enthusiasm

"_Sometimes it doesn't come at all."_

He shrugged and made a sad face, then grinned once more as he sang,

"_I only know that when I'm in it_

_It isn't silly, no it isn't silly, no it isn't silly at all_

_Not at all!"_

He began to jam the interlude, actually going down on one knee serenade Rose with the next lines,

"_How can I tell you about my loved one?_

_How can I tell you about my loved one?_

_How can I tell you about my loved one?_

_How can I tell you about my loved one?"_

He played the second interlude, rising to his feet and facing the audience once more. When the lyrics started in again he turned his head to look at Rose.

"_I love you,_

_I love you."_

And, looking at the audience,

"_I can't explain, the feeling's plain to me,_

_Say can't you see?"_

"_Ah, she gave me more, she gave it all to me_

_Now can't you see?_

_How can I tell you about my loved one?_

_I can't explain, the feeling's plain to me,_

_Say can't you see?"_

"_Ah, she gave me more, she gave it all to me_

_Now can't you see?_

_How can I tell you about my loved one?"_

Scorpius circled Rose again during the next instrumental part before lowering himself once more to his knee in front of her.

"_You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs,"_

_But I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh no."_

Scorpius stood as he sang the next line…

"_Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs."_

…so that he was standing in front of Rose, smiling in a way that was both playful and serious, when he delivered the last line of the song

"_And what's wrong with that?"_

Rose stared into Scorpius's eyes, completely captivated by the shining silver orbs. The room broke into thunderous applause, led, Rose suspected, by Lily, so that that the next words spoken by the Slytherin went unheard by anyone but Rose.

"Rose, I know I still have a lot of explaining to do, but I do love you."

Rose felt a shiver go through her body, but was otherwise unable to react, wouldn't have known how to if she could.

A chant had gone up in the Hall around them, and slowly the two students on the dais became aware of what was being shouted.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Scorpius looked down at Rose. "Er…they want me to kiss you."

"So I hear."

"I'm a little afraid that you might slap me if I try."

"Only one way to find out."

Scorpius seemed to consider for a moment, and then leaned down and kissed her. She didn't slap him.

**AN: I know. I know, I know, I know. 'WTH? We still don't really know what's going on!' I PROMISE you will find out in the next chapter. This was just the most convenient place to end the chapter. Besides, what's a climax w/out a cliffy, right? ;)**

**Reviewing probably won't make me update faster, but you'll **_**hear**_** from me sooner, because I reply to my reviews ;) (provided you have an account & log in of course…)**

**-SQ**


	18. The Whole Sordid Tale

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! Today is the first time I've had a chance to write since I arrived at college. Hopefully I'll be able to write more now that all the preliminary stuff is done & I'm getting into the rhythm of my schedule, but it's still the 1****st**** week, so we shall see what my writing time is like. Scorpius's actions are here explained. Thanks for reading and enjoy (I hope)!**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: Entrance into college does not come with the rights to **_**Harry Potter**_

**Chapter Eighteen: The Whole Sordid Tale**

The noise in the Great Hall erupted even louder than before, so that Scorpius had to shout just for Rose to hear him. "Do you want to go someone more private to talk? !"

Rose nodded and the two Head students slipped off the dais and out of the Great Hall into the maze of corridors, Rose trusting Scorpius to find somewhere they wouldn't be interrupted.

At a wall that seemed to Rose like any other Scorpius stopped and pressed his hand to the base of a small, unobtrusive portrait of three monks eating dinner; the wall swung outward and Scorpius and Rose stepped through, pulling it closed behind them. Scorpius slumped against the wall, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"Scorpius?"

The boy held up his hand. "Just—just a—minute."

"Scorpius, sit down," said Rose, pressing firmly down on his shoulder.

Scorpius shook his head. "I'll be—alright. I'm just—winded."

"Sit _down_."

Scorpius sat.

Rose looked around and realized that they were in the same passageway they had once hidden in from Peeves when they were playing a trick on him.

"Rose?" Rose turned her attention back to Scorpius. "If you're going to make me sit it would be a lot easier to talk to you if you were sitting too."

Rose considered for a moment and then lowered herself to the floor across from him, sitting cross-legged against the opposite wall. "Alright, talk."

Scorpius fixed Rose with his pale, silvery gaze. "Rose, are you always as sure of yourself as you act?" Rose opened her mouth indignantly. "Don't get defensive," said Scorpius quickly. "Just answer the question."

"No," so Rose after a moment. "Not always."

"Neither am I," said Scorpius. "Especially with you. You always got under my skin," he admitted. "Like nobody else. That's why I hated you so much. You _got_ to me. And then this term, when we started having to work together…" he let out a hollow laugh, sounding far less easy-going and far more cynical that the Scorpius Rose was used to. "It hit me like a flying hippogriff; I couldn't stop _thinking_ about you. A lot of good it did me; you still hated my guts. And every other part of me for that matter. I kept trying to show you how I felt, and then you'd do something, and I'd get mad or flustered, and it would all go to hell on a broomstick. It probably didn't help that I was getting increasingly more ill," he added as an afterthought. "And then," Scorpius continued, "you kissed me."

Rose couldn't help a slight blush creeping into her cheeks.

"For the first while I was at Saint Mungo's I was too ill to really think clearly; I wasn't sure whether you had actually kissed me or whether I had imagined the whole thing. I kept hoping you'd write me, and that you'd mention it in your letter, but you never did, so I finally decided to write you as soon as I was well enough." He chuckled. "I must have sat there for over an hour, deciding whether or not to mention you kissing me in that letter. You know what finally decided me?" Rose shook her head, even though it was obviously a rhetorical question. "The nurse came and took it and put in in an envelope and mailed it off before I could change it!" He shook his head. "I think I would've died of sheer boredom in that hospital without your letters. That and my guitar." He smiled at her.

"So why did you stop answering them?"

"I left Saint Mungo's," said Scorpius. "I got well enough to spend the remainder of my recovery at home, so make parents came and swept me off to Malfoy Manor."

"And you couldn't write to _tell_ me this?"

"You have no idea what my parents are like, Rose. They barely gave me space to breathe during those two weeks, let alone write letters. I know I should have found a way to write you anyway," he said when she opened her mouth to protest. "Somehow I got this fool romantic notion in my head where I was coming to come back in here and sweep you off your feet. I know, sounds completely daft, doesn't it? But that was the plan, right up until I saw you running toward me and I just…froze. I didn't know what to do with myself, what to say to you." Scorpius hung his head. "Rose, I'm so, so sorry. I should have sought you out in private afterward and explained, but… There's a reason I'm in Slytherin and you're in Gryffindor. I had just about given up when your cousin Lily came marching up to me demanding, I believe her exact words were, 'what the _hell_ I was doing with her cousin'. Then, once I'd told her, she demanded that I make it right. That display in there was a scheme the two of us thought up together."

"So _that's_ why she kept getting in the way every time I tried to talk to you the past two days!"

Scorpius nodded. "Yes, and she made damn sure I went through with it too. His mouth quirked in a wry expression. "And that, my prickly Rose, is the whole sordid tale, take t or leave it as you will."

Rose was silent for a minute, sucking her lips in around out between her teeth.

"Well," she said finally, "I can tell you two things for certain."

"What are those?" asked Scorpius.

"One, that you are the world's biggest idiot."

"Now I wouldn't go quite that—"

"Two," said Rose, speaking over him, "that I love you too."

Scorpius's face lost what little color it had held. "E-Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf and well as idiotic, Malfoy? I said that I love you."

Scorpius let out a very un-Malfoy-like whoop and threw his arms around her.

"Oof!" said Rose, falling back against the wall. "Malfoy, what in Merlin's name are you doing?"

Scorpius laughed and pulled them both to their feet, arms still encircling her waist. "I love you," said Scorpius.

"You're ridiculous," said Rose, laughter lurking beneath her stern tone.

"But you love me anyway," said Scorpius, half-statement, half-question.

This time Rose did laugh. "Yes, maybe I've gone completely mental, but yes, I do."

"_If I'm crazy then it's true that it's all because of you,"_ sang Scorpius teasingly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's cramped in here, let's walk and talk."

"Talk about what?" asked Scorpius, letting them out of the passageway and looping an arm about Rose's waist once more.

"About your heart," said Rose, turning serious.

"It's completely and one hundred percent yours," said Scorpius.

"About your _illness_," said Rose.

Scorpius sighed. "Way to kill the mood, Rose. Do we have to talk about it now?"

"Yes," said Rose firmly. She looked at him. "I'm not just being a git, you know. I actually care about your health."

Scorpius smiled. "I know you do. What do you want to know?"

"You said it is a permanent condition?"

Scorpius nodded. "Yes. I'll have it for the rest of my life."

"Which will be how long?" asked Rose.

"Still for a good while longer I hope," said Scorpius, trying to lighten the mood. When the look in Rose's eyes said that she was not amused, he said, "If I take care of myself properly probably to somewhere in my nineties, not as long as most wizards, but a ripe old age for a Muggle." He looked down into her face. "You won't have to worry about me dying for a long time to come, I promise."

"It's not funny, Scorpius."

"I know it's not."

Rose let herself relax more against him, her own arms finding its way around his waist. "And what does taking care of yourself proper entail?"

"You really are grilling me, aren't you?" said Scorpius. "It entails being very careful of what I eat and taking my medications, going in for routine check-ups and self-monitoring, and being careful about my physical activity—not doing too much or too little and making sure I get plenty of rest in between. Making sure I get plenty of rest in in general actually, and trying to keep my stress levels to a minimum, though with you as a girlfriend I don't know…"

Rose glared at him.

"I can still have sex though," he added, smirking, "so don't worry."

Rose, blushing furiously, jabbed him sharply in the side. He yelped and looked down at her in a wounded, indignant manner.

"Can you still play Quidditch?" asked Rose, recovering her dignity.

Scorpius stared out of the window at the end of the corridor. "No. I can't."

"Oh Scorpius…" Rose knew what that must mean for him; he had planned on making a career out of playing Quidditch and had hoped to be signed to a reserve team in the fall. Rose tightened her arm around his waist.

"It's okay," said Scorpius, though his voice sounded choked and funny. "I was actually thinking…that I might try my hand at playing music professionally."

Rose looked up at him in surprise. "Really? I thought you hated performing in front of people."

"So did I," said Sorpius. "But that time with the prefects and tonight were kind of…fun. Terrifying, but fun."

Rose leaned her head into his chest, content with his closeness. "You're sure not perfect, Scorpius Malfoy, and you're certainly not always right, but you're learning, and I'm starting to think this just might work."

"Just might?" said Scorpius, cocking a brow.

"I'll get back to you on that."

**AN: No songs here, definitely some sap, but no songs. I have I believe 1 more song planned for this story, and probably one or two more chapters. That's one or two more chances to review, but don't let that stop you from doing it now too!**

**-SQ**


	19. Questions and Confrontations

**Author's Note: I'm getting new chapters up just as fast as I can, I swear, that just is, obviously, not all that fast. Thank you for reading!**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: My only claim is love**

**Chapter Nineteen: Questions and Confrontations**

Scorpius walked Rose back to her dormitory. This was so reminiscent of her evenings with Nick that she had trouble meeting Scorpius's eyes when they stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Are you okay?" asked Scorpius.

"Yes," said Rose. "I'm just…tired."

"I don't blame you," said Scorpius. "I'm exhausted."

Rose looked up at him. He looked exhausted. "You should sleep."

Scorpius smiled. "Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Give me your hand."

Rose held out her hand to Scorpius. He took it in his own and pressed the palm against his chest, right over his heart. "Feel it. It's beating. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't well enough for it. Trust me, I value my own life too much."

Rose rolled her eyes but didn't take her hand from Scorpius's chest. "You great moron."

Scorpius bent and kissed her lightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," said Rose. "Merlin only knows why."

Scorpius chuckled. "Goodnight, Rose."

"Goodnight, Scorpius." She turned from him and stepped through the portrait hole into the common room.

"Rose!"

Rose jumped and then felt like the moron she had just called Scorpius. Somehow in her discussion (well, mostly discussion…) with Scorpius she had forgotten that she had friends and family who would want to know every detail of what had gone on in the last two hours.

"Where have you been?"

"What did he do?"

"What did he say?"

"What did _you_ say?"

"Quiet!" shouted Rose. The stream of questions ceased. "I was with Scorpius."

"Where? What did you do?" demanded Hugo.

"We talked."

"_Only_ talked?" said Albus.

Rose ignored him

"What did you talk about?" asked Jessica.

"Personal matters," said Rose.

"Rose," said Eleonore. "Are ze tow of you together now?"

"Yes," said Rose simply.

"I knew you didn't only talk!" said Albus triumphantly.

"_Why?"_ said Hugo.

"Because we love each other," said Rose stoutly, coloring slightly.

The two boys made gagging noises.

"Awww," said Lily.

Rose turned her gaze on her cousin. "You," she said, "are a sneaky, conniving little schemer. Who watches too many cheesy romance movies."

Lily blinked at her innocently while the others looked at them in confusion. "It worked, didn't it?"

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Albus.

"Let your sister explain," said Rose. "I am going to bed."

"Without getting a head start on this week's homework?" said Jessica once Rose was out of earshot. "She _is_ distracted!"

*****INEBHG*****

Rose had never been more aware or less appreciative of the Hogwarts rumor mill, not even when people had been convinced that she and Nick Boot were dating. And this time she didn't even have the small satisfaction of knowing that the rumor wasn't true.

"Can't they leave it be?" asked Rose in annoyance as she and Scorpius passed another group of whisperers in the corridor. "They act like it's national news or something."

"A Malfoy dating a Weasley," said Scorpius, "it kind of is."

"Well it shouldn't be," said Rose irritably.

"Rose," said Scorpius, "this is more or less what it's going to be like it my—if_ our_—music career is a success. You know that, right?"

Rose sighed. "I know. I'm just…not used to this kind of attention."

"It'll grow on you," said Scorpius, giving a gracious wave to a pair of passing fourth years, who giggled and blushed.

Rose smacked him. "Prat."

The two of them separated with a quick hug and kiss to their respective tables, Rose doing her best to ignore the stares following her.

Still, despite the unwanted attention in garnered, Rose wouldn't have given up being with Scorpius for all the gold in Gringotts. It felt so right being with him, none of that awful confusion that had accompanied her brief, undefined relationship with Nick.

The two of them had talked some about what they would do after graduating from Hogwarts. Scorpius wanted to pursue his music career, and Rose definitely wanted to be a part of that, but she also wanted to go into the Ministry, hopefully into one of the research or relations departments that would allow her to travel with Scorpius if the opportunity arose. They had decided to rent a flat in London to be their home base while they looked for jobs and gigs and hoped for a break. A year ago this kind of uncertainly would have sent Rose into a panic, but now it was just what made sense for the two of them.

*****INEBHG*****

Scorpius was making his way back from Quidditch practice. As he was still technically their captain, and the season was nearly over, it had been decided that he would continue supervising the rest of the practices. He wished it hadn't; it hurt to watch his team flying and practicing above him and know that he would never be able to again. It hurt a lot. He had his music, yes, and he was excited about it, he loved it, but Quidditch had still been his dream. Not to mention that the time he had just spent having his (metaphorical this time at least) heart flayed raw could have been spent working on the insane amount of make-up work he had do for his classes. The professors had, of course, made a lot of concession because of the reason for his absence, but he still had to pass his NEWTs if he wanted to graduate this year.

Slowly, Scorpius realized that there were voices coming from farther down the hall. Rose would tell him that it was rude and unfair to eavesdrop, but Scorpius was a Malfoy and a Slytherin, and information was power, so he stopped to see if the voices were discussing anything worthwhile.

"You haven't given up on her yet, Nick?" said one of the voices, male, sixth or seventh year by the sound of it.

"No." The second voice was one Scorpius recognized: Nicholas Boot, the seventh year Ravenclaw prefect and previous Acting Head Boy.

"But she seems pretty happy right now," said the first voice. Billy Chambers, perhaps?"

"I tell you, Billy"—ha, he was right—"we _had_ something."

"Yeah, man, had, as in past tense. She's with Scorpius now."

Wait, what?

"She liked me before she ever liked him," said Nicholas. "And I know she could like me again if he was out of the picture. Even just for a little while."

"But he is very much _in_ the picture," said Billy. "And even when he was gone—"

"When he was gone we were practically dating," said Nicholas. "She _liked_ me, I could feel it. She wanted to be with me."

"So why isn't she?"

"I don't know!" Nicholas groaned in frustration. "If I could just get her to go out with me again, to kiss me again, I could show her—"

"That," said Scorpius coldly, stepping around the corner, "is _not_ going to happen."

Billy's mouth dropped open in an 'O' and his eyebrows disappeared behind his shaggy curls.

"Hello, Scorpius," said Nicholas Boot.

"You've been messing around with my girlfriend?" said Scorpius, pale eyes flashing.

"Technically she wasn't your girlfriend at the time. In fact, she was very nearly mine."

"Hippogriff shit."

"Contrary to what you might think, Malfoy, you are not the only guy worth dating at this school," said Nicholas.

"I never said I was," said Scorpius. "But Rose _is_ dating me, so you had better stay away from her. Do you understand?"

"And if she doesn't want to stay away from me?"

"What are you implying?" growled Scorpius, advancing on Nicholas.

"Implying? Nothing," said Nicholas. "I am just saying that Rose should know her options and be able to make an _informed_, _individual_ decision."

"She's already made her decision!" said Scorpius angrily. "You had your chance, she chose me, so back OFF!" He slammed Nicholas into the wall with both hands, knocking the wind out of the Ravenclaw. Nicholas let out an "oof!" of air and Scorpius brought his elbow up under the other boy's chin, causing Nicholas's head to crack back against the stone. The Ravenclaw was, however, larger and more fit than Scorpius and, having recovered from the surprise, slammed his shoulder into Scorpius's chest.

Scorpius staggered back, seeing stars, but was going at Nicholas again as soon as he had regained his footing.

"Hey!" said Billy. "Stop! Come on, now, break it up! You're both prefects! Malfoy, you're Head Boy!"

Scorpius barely heard him. He could barely hear anything. There was a funny ringing in his heads, and his vision was going hazy around the edges. His chest hurt something fierce…

A girl's scream pierced the air.

"What are you doing? Get off him! Get _off_!"

Scorpius felt Nicholas back away from him. His vision flickered and he swayed at the sudden absence of contact. Hand grabbed his shoulders and lowered him to the floor.

"Scorpius? Scorpius!" The hands were on his face now. "You idiot…"

"Rose…?"

"Shut up. Lily, run up to the hospital wing, tell Madam Leer we're coming. Scorpius, can you hear me?"

Scorpius blinked, bringing his girlfriend's face into better focus. "Yes…I can hear you…"

"Good," said Rose, he realized her voice was shaking. "I'm going to l-levitate you to the hospital wing."

Scorpius felt himself lift off the floor and almost passed out. It seemed very important that he didn't though, so he forced himself to stay conscious.

They arrived at the hospital wing and Rose lowered Scorpius onto a bed, stepping back to allow Madam Leer to tend him. The mediwitch, who had been alerted to the situation by Lily, quickly administered several potions and charms which had Scorpius sinking back into the billows, his eyes closed.

Rose brushed his pale hair away from his equally pale face, blinking back tears. "Will he be alright?"

"He should be just fine after a day or two of rest."

"When will he wake up?"

"In a few hours I should imagine," said Madam Leer.

"I'll be back," said Rose. She kissed the sleeping boy gently and squeezed his hand. "Lily?"

"Yes?" said her cousin, rising from a chair in the corner of the room.

"Did you happen to see which way Nicholas Boot went before we left?"

**AN: I believe there will be one, possibly two, more chapter of this story. Once it is complete I will start on the final installment on the "Coming to Care"/"Coming to Know" universe, for those of you who have read those.**

**Also, this is completely unrelated, and you will only understand this if you read CP Coulter's Dalton and have gotten sufficiently far in it:**

**This weekend was homecoming at my college, so there was a bunch of fancy stuff, including lots of flowers, around for the alumni visitors. Last night a couple friends & I were walking into 1 of the buildings and there were red rose petals strewn and (since people had been walking on them) crushed all over the steps. My friends said, "Oh, how nice." I said, "Eeek! How creepy!" *shudder***

**Thanks again for reading, I'd love it if you reviewed :)**

**-SQ**


	20. Your Song

**Author's Note: This would have been up hours ago, only I stopped in the middle of proofing it to work out logistics of seeing Darren Criss in **_**How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying**_**. It's not %100 yet, but it looks like a go :D Cross your fingers for me, okay?**

**The **_**Star Tour**_** does not look as hopeful :'( but I'm still trying.**

**Now, on to the actual chapter!**

**(Oh, and yes, there is 1 last song in this final chapter)**

**-SQ**

**Disclaimer: I own the Harry Potter books, but not the rights**

**Chapter Twenty: Your Song**

Rose strode up to the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, Lily at her heals.

"No sooner spoken than broken," said the Eagle-shaped doorknocker. "What am I?"

"Do you know the answer?" said Lily when Rose didn't respond right away.

"I'm thinking, be—oh of course. Silence."

"Well reasoned," said the knocker, and the door swung open to allow them entrance.

Rose stepped through and scanned the room for Nicholas Boot's distinctive figure. The Ravenclaws looked up curiously at Rose, but she ignored them in favor of the tall, dark-haired boy by the window.

"Nick!"

Nick turned around. "Rose," he said in surprise. "Lily. What are—?"

"Scorpius is lying in the hospital wing!" said Rose angrily, marching up to him and standing on tiptoe to so that they were as close to face-to-face as possible. "I want you to tell me what in _Merlin's name_ you think you were doing! Why were you fighting with him! ? Did you _forget_ that you are a prefect! ? That he is your _Head Boy_? ! Did you forget that he is _sick_! ?"

"No," said Nick. "I didn't forget. And I didn't _mean_ to fight with him. _He_ attacked _me_."

That stopped Rose for a moment. _"Why?"_

"He didn't like what I was saying."

"Which was…?"

Nick shifted his weight. "He heard me telling my friend Billy that I wanted to get you back. Is that such a bad thing?"

"It is when I'm dating someone else."

"Rose—"

"Nick, stop, it's not going to work. I appreciate the position you're in, I do, but I'm dating Scorpius. I _love_ Scorpius."

Nick flinched. "So you're not even going to give me a chance?"

"I _gave_ you a chance, Nick. We didn't work out. Scorpius and I do. Don't ask me how or why, it doesn't make sense to me either, but if you really like me, and have any respect for either of us, you will not try to mess that up."

Nick sighed. "I did want Scorpius to not be in between us, but I never wanted him to get hurt."

"Well he did," said Rose bluntly. "You're a good prefect, Nick, and you're smart, and you're friendly, and you're nice. But you need to accept that I'm with Scorpius, not with you. I'm not going to report you for fighting today. Next time I will not be so forgiving."

"If you reported me you'd have to report him too."

"Don't push me, Nick."

"I still think we could work together," said Nick.

"Yes, well, I don't," said Rose.

*****INEBHG*****

Rose left Lily at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and returned to the hospital wing, her feet clipping sharply on the stone floor. She checked her watch and saw that she had been gone just over an hour. Scorpius should still be asleep. She would have time to re-collect her wits before talking to her boyfriend about almost getting himself killed. She bit her lip. No, he was fine, he was fine, he was—awake.

Rose strode across the room, drew back her hand, and slapped Scorpius as hard as she could across the face.

Scorpius's silver eyes widened and his own hand went to his reddened cheek. "Was that…entirely…necessary?"

"You—you—you—jerk! What in Merlin's name were you _thinking_? Are you _trying_ to kill yourself? Do you want _me_ to have a heart attack? Do you think you need to _prove_ yourself to someone? To him? To me? I don't care if you're the biggest bully in the schoolyard, I just care that you're _alive_!" Anything more that Rose might have had to say was impeded by her sudden flow of tears.

"Rose…Rose, shhhh, don't cry." Scorpius reached out and gathered the redhead into his arms. "I'm okay."

"You're—an—idiot!"

"I know, shh, I'm sorry, shh."

Rose hiccupped. "Did you just admit that you're an idiot?"

"You have no proof."

Rose pulled back and looked at her boyfriend. He was as pale as a ghost, with reddened eyes and a bruise starting to form on his right cheek, the mirror image of where she had slapped him.

Rose touched it with her finger. "He hit you. He told me you attacked him—"

"I did," said Scorpius. "What he was saying about you…it made me so mad…"

"What was he saying?"

"That you should be with him. That you would be with him if I wasn't in the way. He was talking about kissing you…"

Rose took a long breath and let it out slowly. "Did he say that I'd kissed him?"

"Yes," said Scorpius. When Rose didn't lift her gaze to meet his he felt his chest constrict even more than it already had. "Did you?"

"No," said Rose. Scorpius let out a sigh of relief. "But he kissed me."

"He forced you?"

"No," said Rose quickly. "No. I—I let him."

Scorpius felt as though someone had pricked him with a pin and all the good feelings were leaking out of him. "You like him."

"I _liked_ him. Past tense. Before—us."

"So I did steal you from him."

"No," said Rose. "First of all, I don't _belong_ to anybody, second… Scorpius, Nick and I…we were never really anything. Yes, I had a crush on him for a couple years, and when he started paying attention to me…it felt good." Scorpius opened his mouth, but Rose ploughed through. "It felt good. And yes, maybe if it wasn't for you Nick and I could have had something. Maybe. But I don't _want_ him, I want _you_."

"Rose," said Scorpius, "what—what happened between the two of you while I was gone?"

Rose closed her eyes briefly and then forced herself to meet Scorpius's gaze. "Not much…but more than should have. He…he started coming onto me as soon as—well, actually before you left I think."

"You think?"

"You know how oblivious I am. I didn't even know he was hitting on me until he came out and said it."

"And then…"

"I was so confused! I liked you, but I had hated you for six and a half years, and I _used_ to like him, and I didn't know if I did or not anymore, only I knew I liked you better. But I didn't really know how you felt about me, and I _knew_ he liked me. No one had ever liked me like that before… And, as he kept telling me, he was there and you weren't…"

"Out of sight out of mind?" said Scorpius bitingly.

"No. _No_. I thought about you. A lot. I shouldn't have let him walk to me Gryffindor Tower every night, I shouldn't have let him flirt with me and hold my arm. I shouldn't have let him kiss me. I thought…I don't know what I thought. That I could keep it from going too far, I guess. I liked those _things_, but I didn't really want him." Scorpius's eyes were like two pieces of flint boring into her. "I did finally tell him no, Scorpius… I never meant to hurt you."

"This was going on while we were writing each other?" asked Scorpius.

Rose nodded. "I'm sorry, Scorpius, I didn't mean to cheat on you—"

"You didn't," said Scorpius. "As you pointed out, we weren't together."

"I _wanted_ us to be."

"Me too."

Rose sighed. "I feel like one of those trashy girls who walks around teasing every guy who looks at her."

Scorpius laughed so hard he began to cough, and Rose had to rub his chest and back until it subsided.

"What's so funny?" demanded Rose, glaring at the panting Head Boy.

"You—will—_never_—be—_anything_—like—those—girls."

Rose frowned.

Scorpius touched her hair. "Rose, I wouldn't _want_ you to be."

Rose leaned back against the headboard, into the crook of his arm. "All the girls you've dated before have been."

"Notice I'm not with them anymore."

"Are you still with me?"

"Yes," said Scorpius. "Unless you'd rather have Nick."

"_No."_ Rose fingered the ends of his pale hair. "You've got to stop scaring me like this, or _I'm_ going to have a heart attack."

Scorpius smiled. "Well, we wouldn't want that."

"How come you were awake when I got back?" said Rose. "Madam Leer said you'd be out for a couple more hours."

Scorpius scoffed. "I spent a month in the hospital, nothing a school nurse would give me could knock me out for more than an hour."

Rose tsked. "You're impossible."

"Impossible to resist," said Scorpius, stealing a kiss.

Rose spluttered. "Scorpius!"

"You don't like my kisses?"

"Of course I like your kisses…"

Scorpius gave her another one. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"You're sure?"

"What do you mean? Of course I'm sure!"

"Hey, don't bit my head off," said Scorpius. "I just don't want to pressure you into anything you're not comfortable with."

"Comfortable?" said Rose. "Of course I'm not _comfortable_. I have no idea what I'm doing. I hated you until a couple months ago. But you're not _pressuring_ me into anything. I am here because I _want_ to be here! I do what I _want_ to do. And if I decided I wanted to—to have sex with you tomorrow that would be my decision too!"

Scorpius's eyebrows lifted. "Oh really?"

Rose flushed. "Erm…well…maybe not…that…yet…"

Scorpius laughed. "Don't worry. I won't be allowed to do anything so physically strenuous for at least another week."

Rose smacked him on the shoulder, still blushing furiously. When she had gotten herself back under control and had stopped envisioning Scorpius in various states of undress, Rose straightened up and looked at her boyfriend. "Scorpius, you're always whipping out your guitar and singing songs for me. I can't play the guitar, but I'd like to sing a song for you."

"In front of the whole school?" said Scorpius teasingly.

"No," said Rose. "I think we've had enough of that. Just—just here, if that's alright with you."

"You're asking my permission?" said Scorpius, lifting any eyebrow. "That's a first."

"You're right," said Rose. "I'm not. Sit there. I'm going to sing for you."

"Yes ma'am."

Rose waved her wand to give herself a starting note and began to sing.

_It's a little bit funny this feeling inside_

_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_

_I don't have much money but boy if I did,_

_I'd buy a big house where we both could live_

_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_

_Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show_

_I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do_

_My gift is my song, and this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_I sat down on the roof and kicked off the moss_

_Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite crossed_

_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

_So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is, what I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

Scorpius brought his hands together in a slow clap, but he wasn't the only one. Rose whirled around and saw her cousins, best friends, and younger brother standing in the doorway.

"What are you lot doing here?"

"Gagging, now," said Hugo, making a face.

"We came to make sure Malfoy hadn't killed or jinxed you," said Albus.

"Or you, him," added Lily.

"We can see that neither of you are dead," said Jessica.

"But we 'aven't quite decided whether you're bewitched or not," said Eleonore.

Rose glared at them. "This was kind of our moment."

"And what a nice moment it was," said Albus, smirking.

"Piss off," said Scorpius.

Hugo narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin. "Are you serious about my sister?"

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "Would I have gotten up in front of the entire school and sang thos esongs to her if I wasn't?" he said dryly.

"Good point."

Albus considered the prone Slytherin. "You had better not die on her," he said.

"Don't even joke about that!" said Rose, but Scorpius smiled.

"I'll try not to."

*****INEBHG*****

Scorpius was let out of the hospital wing the next day, under strict orders to take his potions, avoid stress, and to "please not get in any more _fights_!"

"You know," said Scorpius as he and Rose strolled down the corridor on their way to the first of their NEWT exams (Transfiguration), "since I'm going into music, I really don't need to take my NEWTs at all…all that unnecessary stress, you know…" He laughed at the warring horror, concern, and confusion on Rose's face. "Relax, I'm only joking. I've worked way too hard getting caught up to just drop it all here."

"Scorpius," Rose complained, "must you make a joke of everything?"

"Someone has to provide humor in this relationship," said Scorpius. "By the way," he added offhandedly. "I rented the flat."

If Rose had had anything in her mouth she would have spit it out. _"What?"_

"I rented the flat," repeated Scorpius. "We have a place to live when we get out of here."

Rose knew the expression on her face must have been the epitome of silly, but she didn't care.

"I take it you're happy," said Scorpius in amusement. Rose nodded. "I'm glad. Now go kick those NEWTs' asses."

Rose looked at him. "Is that supposed to mean 'good luck'?"

"Yes," said Scorpius, chuckling. "It is indeed supposed to mean good luck."

"Then good luck to you, too," said Rose.

"Yeah," scoffed Scorpius, "like I'm going to need it."

"Prat."

**AN: Yes, you have indeed just finished **_**It's Not Easy Being Head Girl**_**. It is over, it is done, I hope you liked it. :) You have one last chance to review now, don't pass it up!**

**-SQ**


End file.
